SAUK VILLAGE, Ill. (CBS) – The mayor of Sauk Village has abruptly resigned, and tonight trustees are expected to appoint an acting mayor.

The resignation of Sauk Village Mayor Lewis Towers came in an email to government leaders.

Trustee Derrick Burgess, who ran against Towers in the last election, says he was shocked by the resignation – but he says Towers and the board had some problems working together.

And he says Sauk Village is hurting.

“Very financially poor. We have had a lot of litigation because of the things he did, and we had to go to court to try to undo what he tried to do. So that cost a lot of money in litigation right there,” Burgess says.

Burgess – who says he’s running for mayor in April – expects another trustee to be appointed tonight as a caretaker mayor.

Towers could not be immediately reached for comment.

LISTEN: WBBM Newsradio’s Steve Miller reports

Trustees on Thursday evening appointed Trustee David Hanks to be acting mayor.  He tells Brad Edwards his top priority is “healing the division within our community.”