Report by Swansea’s attorney disputes trustee allegations of mismanagement
Swansea’s village attorney has completed an investigation into recent allegations by a Board of Trustees member that officials have been mishandling the village’s general reserve fund.
Attorney John Kurowski concluded in his report that Trustee Brian Thouvenot had overstated the issue at board meetings and in Facebook posts, and that there was no need for an independent “forensic audit,” as Thouvenot had requested.
Thouvenot’s primary concern was that the village had built up its reserve fund, which functions like a savings account, to about eight months’ worth of annual revenue or expenditures in recent years. That is despite a 2011 ordinance that caps the fund at four months.
“There wasn’t any reason for concern about the fact that the four-month surplus provision wasn’t followed,” Kurowski said in an interview.
“In fact, the opposite conclusion is evident. (The investigation showed) that Swansea handled its finances appropriately at all times and that having a surplus of eight months in today’s economic world is a very good thing. The people in Swansea should be pleased.”
Kurowski, who has served as village attorney for 37 years, presented his 16-page report at a board meeting last week. It’s also posted under news on the village’s website.
Kurowski recommended that officials revisit the ordinance to determine if the reserve-fund minimum — two months’ worth of annual revenue or expenditures — is appropriate and whether a maximum is necessary, and to better specify how the money should be managed.
Thouvenot said he does not oppose reconsidering village policy on the reserve fund, as long as taxpayers are involved in the process, but said that does not change the fact that the ordinance was violated.
Thouvenot called Kurowski’s report “gaslighting.”
“I love the fact that the village of Swansea spent all this money (on an internal investigation) to make me look bad,” he said.
“Instead of saying, ‘Yeah, we made a mistake. We’re going to make sure that we don’t do it again and rectify the situation,’ it’s like they doubled down on this idea that everything is just fine, and it’s not.”
Thouvenot has blamed Village Administrator Ben Schloesser and board Finance Committee Chairman Matt Lanter for either ignoring the ordinance or lacking knowledge of it.
Thouvenot said they did not mention that the reserve fund had surpassed its maximum when the board was approving budgets or considering property tax levy increases in recent years.
Lanter did not respond to requests for comment this week. Schloesser declined to comment.
“I think the report speaks for itself,” Schloesser said.
In his report, Kurowski stated that the 2011 ordinance provided no “remedies” for reserve-fund surpluses, making the maximum more of a policy goal than a mandatory provision under state law.
Kurowski described Schloesser and Lanter as experienced and professional. He cited annual audits by an outside firm as evidence that they have guided the village into a strong financial position and noted that Schloesser has recommended the use of reserve funds, most recently in a discussion of the village’s tax levy.
“All officials are and should be subject to criticism and constant evaluation and should have thick skin,” the report stated. “But democracy is undermined when unsupported distractions are created.”
Swansea has an annual budget of $10.5 million. Under the 2011 ordinance, the reserve fund should range from $1.74 million to $3.45 million. Today, the cash balance is $7.53 million ($8.33 million accrued), according to officials.
Thouvenot was elected to the village board in 2023. As a mayoral candidate last year, he was defeated by fellow board member Jeff Parker.
In December, Thouvenot called the build-up of reserve funds “illegal” in a Facebook post. He also questioned whether officials had violated another part of the 2011 ordinance by spending money from the fund without board authorization.
Thouvenot said he is trying to protect taxpayers.
“There needs to be an accounting of these funds done by an independent party,” he said this week. “We can’t investigate ourselves.”
In his report, Kurowski stated that Thouvenot may have “misread” the 2011 ordinance, which does not require board approval of reserve-fund expenditures unless the fund drops below its minimum.
Last month, Parker took offense at Thouvenot’s use of the word “illegal,” saying it implied criminal activity.
Parker acknowledged that officials had violated the 2011 ordinance, which he called “out of date.” He argued that reserve funds equal to eight months’ worth of revenue or expenditures is “healthy” and necessary today in the event of natural disasters or other emergencies.
“I campaigned on readiness,” Parker said.
This story was originally published January 30, 2026 at 5:15 AM.
