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 …
Tuesday, May 10, 2011
Stan Bond and Matt Brolley take their places on the Montgomery Village Board, and Pete Heinz begins his seventh term, while Carla Cooper begins her term as clerk.
Last month, the Montgomery Village Board said goodbye to two longtime trustees, Jeanne Felten and Robert Watermann. On Monday, the board welcomed their successors, as new trustees Stan Bond and Matt Brolley took their oaths and their seats. Bond, president of his own advertising firm, won his place on the board April 5 with 616 votes, the most of the seven candidates. Brolley, an engineer with Koziol Engineering Services in Lisle, won his with 479 votes. While both Bond and Brolley are kicking off their first terms, the winner of the third open seat in last month's election, Pete Heinz, began his seventh on Monday night. He won his re-election with 489 votes. Kane County Judge Robert Pilmer swore in all three trustees, as well as new …
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 …
Tuesday, April 5, 2011
Pete Heinz will serve a seventh term, while Matt Brolley and Stan Bond get their first after Tuesday's election.
It was one of the most hotly-contested elections in the village of Montgomery’s recent history. And when the dust cleared, voters sent two new trustees to the board, voting off two incumbents, and returned a 24-year veteran to his seat. The two newbies are Stan Bond and Matt Brolley, two residents with differing ideas about the future of the village. They will replace two incumbents: Jeanne Felten, who served two terms, and Robert Watermann, who served from 2001 to 2004, and then from 2006 on. The third incumbent in the race, Pete Heinz, will return to the board for a seventh term. With all unofficial results tallied, Bond won 22 percent of the votes in Kane County, Heinz 18 percent and Brolley 13 percent. Brolley took Kendall County by …
Wednesday, March 30, 2011
The seven trustee candidates, given two minutes and free reign.
We've asked them questions, and they've responded. We've sent them questionnaires, and they've filled them out. Now it's time to hear from the seven candidates for Montgomery Village Board, in their own words. Each candidate was given two minutes in front of a camera to explain why they are running for the board, and why voters should pick them on April 5. Each gave very different reasons, so here they all are, one after another in alphabetical order, so you can compare and contrast. Early voting is going on now, but ends tomorrow. We hope we've given you enough information to make an informed choice at the polls, whether you vote early or on April 5. And now, ladies and gentlemen, your seven Village Board candidates: Stan Bond, Matt …
Friday, March 25, 2011
The fifth and final in our in-depth Q&A series with the Montgomery Village Board candidates.
Welcome to the final Patch Q&A with the Montgomery Village Board candidates. All week we’ve been bringing you the candidates’ answers to your questions, and here is where we wrap things up. We asked all seven a series of five questions, taken from suggestions either emailed in from readers or posted to this site. The candidates were given no word limit, so some of these answers can get a little long. That’s why we’ve linked them all separately below. The first four questions are here, here, here and here. Here’s the fifth question: How can the village better engage its residents to participate in city government? Very few citizens attend village meetings. How can this be changed? What have you, specifically, done to get more people …
Thursday night's forum, sponsored by the Greater Montgomery Area Chamber of Commerce, was the only one scheduled before the April 5 election.
Montgomery voters got their one and only chance to see their Village Board candidates share the same stage and answer the same questions Thursday night. The Greater Montgomery Area Chamber of Commerce hosted the only candidates forum before the April 5 election, and six of the seven trustee hopefuls made their way to Village Hall, where they responded to questions and elaborated on their ideas for more than two hours. Current trustees Jeanne Felten and Rob Watermann were joined by four challengers: Stan Bond, Matt Brolley, Martin Flowers and Josh Salisbury. Incumbent Pete Heinz was unable to make it, and had initially intended to send a representative to read a statement, but that representative did not appear Thursday night. The remaining…
Thursday, March 24, 2011
Fourth in our series in in-depth Q&A features with the Montgomery Village Board candidates.
Welcome back to our Patch Q&A with the Montgomery Village Board candidates. You asked the questions, we put them to the candidates, and now we’re bringing you their answers. We asked all seven a series of five questions, taken from suggestions either emailed in from readers or posted to this site. The candidates were given no word limit, so some of these answers can get a little long. That’s why we’ve linked them all separately below. We’ll be running one question and one series of answers per day this week, so come back tomorrow for the next one. The first three questions are here, here and here. Here’s the fourth question: What are your thoughts on a vehicle sticker system, such as the one Evanston uses, that would impose a “wheel tax” …
Wednesday, March 23, 2011
The third in our series of in-depth Q&A sessions with the Montgomery Village Board candidates.
Welcome back to our Patch Q&A with the Montgomery Village Board candidates. This is where we give the seven candidates free reign on issues important to you. We asked all seven a series of five questions, taken from suggestions either emailed in from readers or posted to this site. The candidates were given no word limit, so some of these answers can get a little long. That’s why we’ve linked them all separately below. We’ll be running one question and one series of answers per day this week, so come back tomorrow for the next one. The first two questions are here and here. Here’s the third question: One candidate has suggested returning to a village administrator form of government. How do you feel about the current village manager system…
kpfarrer
7:28 pm on Saturday, May 21, 2011
The governance training can't hurt, seems like a good idea. I've had mixed experiences dealing with the village one on one regarding local issues. I think it's ok to question the system and work out something residents are happy with, without personally bashing anyone. The mere act of questioning should be welcome participation. The village manager seems to be doing a great job, but interactions … more ›