Wednesday, April 4, 2012
The Montgomery Village Board is expected to vote on terminating Village Manager Anne Marie Gaura's contract at its Monday meeting, a decision that has been brewing since the last election.
Several sources have confirmed that the Montgomery Village Board will consider whether to fire Village Manager Anne Marie Gaura at Monday’s board meeting, and the majority of trustees are expected to vote to terminate her contract. Trustee Andy Kaczmarek confirmed that he asked to place the issue on Monday’s board meeting agenda—at the request, he said, of Trustee Pete Heinz. It’s a vote that has been brewing since last year’s election, which saw a change in the makeup of the board. Two of Gaura’s supporters—Rob Watermann and Jeanne Felten—were removed, and voters elected Stan Bond and re-elected Heinz, both of whom were openly critical of the manager form of government during their campaigns. During the election, Heinz stated that Gaura “…
Wednesday, May 18, 2011
Village Board members agree to put off talks on reducing the village manager's powers until after they undergo governance training next month.
Montgomery trustees voted Tuesday night to open a discussion on the powers and responsibilities of the village manager. But they also agreed to postpone that discussion until after the Village Board undergoes governance training next month. Several trustees have been considering reducing the village manager’s authority for some time, and it was a central issue in the recent election—Trustee Pete Heinz in particular ran on a platform of eliminating the village manager position entirely, and returning to an earlier form of government in which trustees had control of the village’s various departments. But it was Trustee Andy Kaczmarek who brought the issue to the board Tuesday night, placing the two ordinances that set forth the manager’s …
Tuesday, May 17, 2011
In the wake of the recent election, Trustee Andy Kaczmarek has asked for a discussion on eliminating some of Village Manager Anne Marie Gaura's powers.
During the recent election, Trustee Pete Heinz ran on a platform of reducing the power of the village manager and returning some of that power to the Village Board. Montgomery trustees will begin that discussion tonight, but it’s not Heinz who is bringing the issue to the table. Trustee Andy Kaczmarek confirmed that he is “spearheading” the move to revise the two ordinances that set forth the village manager’s duties. He requested those two documents—Ordinance 929, which established the powers of the village manager in December 2000, and Ordinance 981, which amended them in February 2002—be included on the agenda for tonight’s Committee of the Whole meeting. Specifically, Kaczmarek said, he wants to eliminate the 2002 amendment, which …
Thursday, April 21, 2011
Village president says no changes are planned in light of Oswego's decision to withhold funding from its economic development corporation.
UPDATED 1:05 pm. with Stan Bond's comments, below. It was the talk of economic development professionals up and down the Fox Valley Wednesday. The Oswego Village Board’s 4-2 decision Tuesday to hold off on funding the village’s portion—an investment that totals $85,000— of the Oswego Economic Development Corporation for next year was a surprise to many. The board will discuss whether to bring its economic development efforts in-house at its May 3 meeting, but until then, the OEDC is in limbo. The village provides the public-private partnership with 35 percent of its roughly $400,000 annual budget, so even if the board does not reinstate those funds, the OEDC is not necessarily finished. But bringing those functions under complete village …
Wednesday, April 13, 2011
The $23.3 million spending plan—which includes $8.8 million in general fund expenses—takes effect May 1.
The village of Montgomery has a budget for fiscal year 2012. With a vote of 4-2, village trustees approved the proposed $23.3 million spending plan Monday night. They also voted 4-2 to approve a salary plan for village employees, one that includes a one-percent pay increase and the possibility of three-percent merit increases for those not covered by either the police or public works union. The 2012 budget includes $8.8 million for general fund costs, including the day-to-day operations of the village. It’s a balanced budget, according to Finance Manager Jeff Zoephel, thanks in part to the increase in population reported in the 2010 census. With more than 1,300 new residents coming to Montgomery in the past two years, Zoephel expects to …
Steve Jungermann
2:14 pm on Tuesday, April 10, 2012
Greg, I stand by my comment. The citizens of Montgomery lost last night. There was no transparency or public discussion. This has been the typical procedure of this Village Board. more ›