DOLTON | As expected, the Dolton Village Board elected late Mayor William "Bill" Shaw's political ally Ronnie C. Lewis as acting mayor during a special meeting Monday.
Lewis, 63, replaces Shaw, 71, who lost his four-year battle with cancer Wednesday. Lewis will complete Shaw's term, which ends in April. Lewis said he intends to seek election to a full term.
Lewis, who has been a trustee since 1991, resigned from that position. He was unanimously replaced by Deborah Green, formerly the chairwoman of the village's Zoning Commission. Both were sworn in during the meeting.
Although Lewis was elected acting mayor, he has served as pro tem mayor since 1998, filling in when the mayor was sick or out of town.
"I thank each and every one of you for having confidence in me, and putting your faith in me to do the right thing. There will be some hard decisions to make and we have some work to do. I feel like Bill Shaw is looking over my shoulder," Lewis said.
In fact, a photograph of Shaw was on the wall just above Lewis' head, looking over his left shoulder and the late mayor's nameplate remained attached to the section where Lewis sat. The nameplate was removed after the meeting.
The late mayor's identical twin brother, Robert Shaw, attended the meeting in a show of support for Lewis, and said he feels great that the city has the ability to move forward during a time of grief.
"I recognize the city must move forward. It's been turned over to good hands. He will do a great job, and will carry on the programs instituted by the mayor. He understands and he has the background and knowledge," Shaw said.
Fellow trustees, who voted unanimously for Lewis, pledged to work with him for the good of the community.
Longtime Trustee James Jefferson said he wants to see the village continue to grow, despite any future disagreements among trustees.
Trustee Garry Lambert said he loved the late mayor like a brother and has similar affection for Lewis.
He said while the board may look like one that is generally in agreement, they "hash out our differences in the back room and that's the way it should be. I'm behind you 100 percent."
Trustee Willie Lowe said he knows Lewis will do a great job, and he spoke out to Robert Shaw, who had a front seat in the meeting room, saying, "Every time I look at Robert Shaw, I see the mayor."
