July 31--Oak Forest Ald. Chuck Toland has resigned his position, he and city officials confirmed Thursday.
Toland said he submitted his resignation as Oak Forest alderman this week following controversy over a Daily Southtown story detailing an $18,000 spending flap with a youth sports organization. During a brief interview Thursday, Toland said he resigned because of comments people have been making "on blogs" about the situation.
"I just need to take care of my family," Toland said.
Toland, the Oak Forest Raiders Football and Cheerleading organization's former treasurer, said he accidentally had been using the group's credit card. Once he realized his mistake, Toland said, he made the board aware of the situation.
Raiders athletic director Roy Pruitt reported the matter to police last month, and told authorities he was "looking for advice with a theft that had occurred within the (Raiders)," according to a police report.
Raiders President Greg James said last week that the organization didn't consider the mixup to be anything more than a "mistake."
The organization determined that Toland owed about $18,000 and came up with a plan for Toland to pay about $3,000 a month to the Raiders, police said.
Pruitt told police Toland was "approximately two weeks late with the first payment" when he called them last month, police said.
After a reporter contacted Toland last week, he said he wasn't aware of the police report. Police and James previously said Toland cut a check for about $15,000 to the Raiders, ending the matter.
Oak Forest City Administrator Troy Ishler confirmed Toland's resignation.
"It was his decision to make and he made it," Ishler said. "It is what it is. It's something he felt he had to do and he did it."
gpratt@tribpub.com
