Politics & Government

Talks Begin on Village Manager Powers

Trustees hold first public discussion about changing laws that govern the position. Debate to continue Aug. 16.

For months the question of how much power the office of the village manager should have has been in the background, always coloring discussions between trustees, but rarely addressed outright.

Tuesday night that issue jumped into the spotlight.

Three trustees—Stan Bond, Matt Brolley and Pete Heinz—have suggested changes to the two ordinances that grant the village manager’s authority. These changes would affect the manager’s ability to hire, fire and appoint employees, and to enter into contracts without Montgomery Village Board approval. (For a rundown, go .)

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Village Attorney Steve Andersson presented these options at Tuesday’s Committee of the Whole meeting, and what followed was the first public discussion of the village manager powers since the April elections changed the face of the board.

The first thing trustees did was shoot down a proposal by Village President Marilyn Michelini to break into two-member subcommittees, one of which would discuss the village manager laws. (The other two would have been tasked with drafting a code of conduct for the board, and working on a strategic plan for the village, respectively.)

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This idea, Michelini said, grew out of the recent governance training the board underwent with a pair of professors from Northern Illinois University. But trustees Heinz, Bond, Bill Keck and Andy Kaczmarek voted against it, all of them saying the training has gone far enough.

“I would prefer to work as a six-member board,” Bond said, noting that much of the training centered on working as a team, and that splitting up trustees seemed to run counter to that idea.

Trustees agreed that no action needed to be taken Tuesday night but opened talks on the village manager ordinances.

Andersson cautioned them to keep their comments to the office itself, and reserve comments on the performance of current Village Manager Anne Marie Gaura for executive session—although Heinz, a frequent critic of Gaura, had to be reminded more than once.

Andersson also noted that although both Heinz and Bond have suggested renaming the office from “village manager” to “village administrator,” there are no legal ramifications for doing so. While the title may have certain connotations, Andersson said, the duties will not be altered merely by changing the name.

Bond said he suggested the name change to better reflect the type of government Montgomery has—one in which the village board sets the direction.

Additionally, Andersson said, since Gaura was hired as a village manager, she would have the right to continue using that title until her current contract expires. That contract runs until May 2013.

Gaura had no comment on the proposed changes to the ordinances.

But Trustee Denny Lee did, questioning several of the ideas presented. He specifically called out Bond’s suggestion for a statement of ethics, one that emphasizes that the village manager should not get involved in local politics.

Lee said the manager is already bound by the International City/County Management Association’s ethical standards.

“That’s like saying we should [pass a law that states] that no policeman can rob a bank or no trustee can take a bribe,” Lee said. “So why add this? Emphasis?”

Bond said the ICMA is a third-party organization that the voters did not choose to set the standards for the village. He did not point to a specific reason for the paragraph’s inclusion but said he felt it an important enough issue to state in the ordinance.

Most trustees said the process of revising these ordinances is still in its early stages, and acting on them now would be premature. Board members will now consider the options, and continue the discussion at the Aug. 16 Committee of the Whole meeting.

“This is a good starting point,” Keck said. “The board has changed, there are different ideas and I look forward to the discussion.”


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