(File Photo by Kevin Mathewson, Kenosha County Eye)
SALEM LAKES, Wis. – Cassandra Hiller, the embattled Village Administrator of Salem Lakes, is preparing to leave her position after a tenure filled with controversy, public backlash, and strained government relations. But in a move that has left many residents baffled, Village officials—including President Rita Bucur—reportedly knew she was planning to depart and still expressed support for renewing her contract.
Hiller has not formally announced her resignation to the public or the full Village Board. However, several board members, including Bucur, are believed to have been aware of her intentions but chose not to inform taxpayers. Her updated LinkedIn profile confirms she is “open to work” and seeking new full-time executive positions, with a flexible start date and interest in roles across Wisconsin and Illinois.
Trustee Pete Poli—the board’s lone dissenter—was the only member to respond to KCE’s inquiries. “I would have preferred to hear about this from the administrator directly instead of from the local media – that aside, I wish her the best in her future endeavors,” he said. Poli has consistently challenged Hiller’s proposals, in stark contrast to the rest of the board that largely supported her initiatives.
Hiller was hired in late 2023 despite being overwhelmingly rejected by a citizen advisory panel during the administrator search process. One committee member told KCE, “The village doesn’t need a big city Illinois tax-and-spend Democrat.” Nevertheless, Bucur and her allies pushed the hire through.
A Tenure Marred by Scandal
From the beginning, Hiller’s time as administrator has been beset by scandal. Under her leadership, the Village was investigated by the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR) for illegal wetland grading. The DNR required the Village to submit a formal remediation plan. Hiller retained legal counsel amid the probe, raising concerns that taxpayers may ultimately be responsible for her personal legal fees. The incident severely strained the Village’s relationship with state environmental regulators.
She was also accused of helping her next-door neighbor and personal friend secure a lucrative landscaping contract with the Village, bypassing local firms in the process. Her attempt to launch a regional EMS consolidation effort failed spectacularly, prompting Paddock Lake to sever ties with Salem Lakes Fire and sign on with Bristol instead.
In one of the most explosive revelations of her tenure, KCE uncovered a series of private meetings and unpublicized discussions between Hiller and developers about allegedly building a large-scale waterpark and amphitheater. The proposal, which may have involved hundreds of thousands in taxpayer incentives and long-term development agreements, was kept quiet until whistleblowers tipped off KCE. When residents learned of the secret negotiations, outrage followed. Many questioned the legality of the closed-door talks and expressed concern over the Village government’s complete lack of transparency. The board offered few answers.
Hiller further damaged public trust by promoting a taxpayer-funded $5,000 “woke workshop” for Village employees—an initiative that drew heavy criticism and prompted residents to walk out of a board meeting in protest.
Yet even after some board members learned that Hiller was seeking a new job, they continued to express support for renewing her contract at a salary exceeding $150,000. Sources say no efforts have been made to begin a replacement search, and none will begin until she is officially gone.
Résumé in Dispute
While Hiller’s résumé boasts an impressive list of accomplishments, several claims are disputed by residents and officials alike. She lists herself as the “lead negotiator” for the failed EMS consolidation project and claims she “created” the Village’s HR position—though that position was established by a board vote.
She also states the Village’s first comprehensive plan is “nearly complete,” though it hasn’t been formally commissioned—only authorized for bid. Perhaps most questionable is her claim of more than $500,000 in contract savings and new revenue in one year, a figure many doubt due to the Village’s growing legal expenses.
She further claims to have strengthened relationships with developers and government agencies, but KCE has heard from multiple sources who say the opposite is true. A notable example was her clash with the Kenosha County Fair, where she attempted to overcharge for fire protection and tried to derail construction of a big beautiful new building—actions some perceived as personal attacks.
Community Reaction
Public reaction to Hiller’s quiet exit has been blunt. “Good riddance,” one resident told KCE. “About time,” said another.
Still, the board’s handling of her departure—knowing about it, keeping it quiet, and still signaling support for a contract extension—raises fresh concerns about transparency and accountability in Salem Lakes government. For now, there’s no timeline for a successor, no public explanation, and no signs of reform.
*7/5/2025 @ 10:13 p.m. Article modified to show screenshots of Cassandra Hiller’s LinkedIn page which was altered within hours of publication of this story.*
13 Responses
Don’t let the door hit ya where the good lord split ya. That woman is the most immoral, unethical, unscrupulous politician I’ve ever had the displeasure of meeting. The fact that the board hired her and is still discussing keeping her despite her “accomplishments” at VOSL is simply disgraceful and shows the true sense of the words “bad government.” Hopefully her replacement won’t set the bar even lower, given the board who will be selecting.
I nominate Kenosha city administrator and former police chief John Morrissey as the new top dog in Salem Lakes. He is a dream candidate in every respect.
He pads his resume with a fake college degree.
He has demonstrated repeatedly his high level of corruption. He is a perjurer who uses his office for personal gain.
If Salem Lakes hires him, they get the whole package. He will put his entire family and his close and trusted henchmen on the payroll.
He is perfect for this board. Just do it!
The board continues its favorite pastime: blaming outside forces for its own steady stream of failures. With the exception of Trustee Poli, it might be time for the rest of you to take a long, honest look in the mirror—because that reflection? That’s the real problem.
Let’s be clear: allowing an employee to control the narrative is not leadership—it’s a failure to fulfil your responsibility to the taxpayer that you serve. You were elected to serve the public, not to be managed by your hire. The refusal to acknowledge the mistake in appointing the wrong Administrator isn’t just stubborn—it’s textbook dysfunction. Doubling, tripling, even quadrupling down on a bad decision doesn’t make it right. It makes it reckless.
Maybe next time, try listening to the people who actually live here. Radical idea, I know.
Sure, there may be some positives in the Village—though at the moment, they’re buried under a mountain of missteps. What’s not hard to find? A growing list of grievances, mismanaged projects, and a community that feels increasingly ignored.
It’s time to chart a new course. One that starts with hiring an Administrator who sees this Village not as a résumé booster, but as a home. Someone who values community input over personal accolades. Someone who understands that public service means serving the public—not managing them into silence.
The path forward isn’t complicated. It just requires courage, humility, and a willingness to admit when you’ve gone off course. The question is: does this board have it
Should never have been hired, should have long ago been fired. Thanks to Pete Poli for your single handed leadership, whenever the rest of the board chose to include you. The rest of this board is sub par at best, terrible at worst. Tens of thousands if not hundreds of thousands of dollars will be spent just making up for her egregious mistakes including remediation, possibly fines, legal fees, mishandling of EMS services with neighboring communities, secret society and so forth.
Her legacy will be of poor performance and a fractured community. The board will be remembered for this atrocious hire and support for village leadership which can lie at will with no ramifications.
Now that she will soon be gone (is Monday too late?) it is time for Rita to do the right thing and also resign joined by Hiller fan club chairman Bill Hopkins and most of the rest of these slimy politicians.
Salem Lakes can survive, but the course needs to change immediately and the only way to do that is to clean house.
Where is Shirley? Where is Linda?
Where is Russ?
Thanks Cassandra, it been a blast, good luck. We won’t miss you, I promise.
Fuc*in Swamp Gate. It is independence weekend, very fitting.😂😂😂
Remember George Carlin’s bit where he is talking about animal extinction and saying to let nature take its course and let them go gracefully….the board should take that advice. Let Cassandra go away gracefully to Lake County!
#MakeSalemLakesGreatAgain!
If she’s allowed to just walk away scot free, she only learns that she has won. Any legal means to nail her ass to the wall should be pursued.
She hasn’t won. Any muni worth anything will do some research into her and find all these lovely articles about her amazing accomplishments in VOSL. Besides, the legal fees budget is already out of control because of her and this board. Just let her slink away and retire from her dream job in McHenry county like she wants to and leave our Village alone. Now if only we can reclaim the board and really stop the madness.
Well her linked in no longer says open to work, so she must have read this article.
Thank you for the FYI. I uploaded my receipts. I always save my receipts, especially for Menards rebates. 😉
Does anybody know if the DNR is looking to hire more wardens by chance? I’ve heard she has lots of experience dealing with wetlands 👀