I certainly hope to hear more about the meeting in Springfield this week. The only thing I am sure about is that the council meeting last week was moved from Wednesday to Monday to enable to allow some of the elected officials and maybe non elected to attended. Using google, I was able to find the brochure advertising the IMUA and what it was all about.
With respect to the citizens of Peru, I do hope the Mayor and whomever accompanied him will share what they learned with the interested citizens of Peru. The more understanding that the residents have about what takes places here as a result of something learned elsewhere, the better it will be and we will willingly pay for trips when we know it is more business than fun and games.
24 comments:
Louie, what do you think this political stuff is all about? One big game of golf, fine food and top shelf liquior.
If the agenda of the IMUA was presented to you to publish over the blog with a summary of what was discussed plus a expense account of each attendee would you be satisfied? In addition maybe a report of who attended what and what was discussed would be satisfactory.
Hate to inform you that I lost my #3 iron on the 18th hole, didn't discover this until I got home and don't know how to charge it on my expense account.
In the recent Peru City election the position of treasurer was voted upon. The person elected was already in the upgraded position of Budget Director from the appointed poosition of treasurer. Monday evening the sworn in Treasurer is getting reappointed to Budget Director with a pay increase of $18,000/year. Why in lttle more than a month is the elected position being upgraded?
It is evident that the orginal intention was only to promote certain individuals with certain positions at certain additional salary.
In fairness to all citizens the position which was stated on the ballot and the pay compensation should remain as voted upon. Two years from now if Peru needs a Budget Director at $24,000/year rather than a Treasurer at $6,000/year the people should be given the opportunity to vote as such and all interested should be given fair opportunity to run for this position.
Unfair practices and poor business decisions as listed above are earning the City Hall the nickname of "Reptile Gardens". This small, local government is getting so expensive that many in the near years to come will not be able to afford to live here.
3:07 PM
The question about the Treasurer position was brought up by several people prior to the election, even tho the present Budget Director had previously been appointed as City Treasurer and then a year or 2 later, Mayor Harl thought he was working hard enough to have a change in position and was named Budget Director and no one was city treasurer. The question is are we in Peru establishing new protocol by deceiving people in thinking that they are actually voting for a city treasurer who will only make $6000 per year when in actuality they are being lied to because plans are already in place to again upgrade the winning person to Budget Director at the increased salary of $18,000.
Elected officials make up your mind, either you are putting an individual up for city treasurer or as budget director and have the correct position listed on the ballot and it is not just the difference in the name of the office.
I can understand it was legal to do this once as it was an unprecedented situation. But to repeat that at the next election leaves some questions that need answering. The city council needs to decide if they are going to eliminate the position of city treasurer and no longer have that position on the ballot during a municipal election. If they are going to keep a Budget Director at city hall, then that is the position that should be on the ballot.
Anon 3:07 and Anon 3:40 Government practices such as this which many city officials hope to sneak in are one of the reasons the country is not getting a higher caliber type of individual involved.
Questionabl incidents such as this are reasons that local and city residents no longer have any faith in politicians. For further proof of this lack of faith I ask "How many years has it been in the city of Peru since 35% of the voters elected a Peru Mayor" if ever? Barely a 33% rather than a majority of 51%.
That is why we need to change the type of government to the manager-council form. Do away with the treasurer and clerk posistions. Lower the Mayor's salary to a third of what it is. Use all that money to hire a professional manager.
The upgrade of a Tresurer at $6,000/year salary to a different title of Budget Director at $24,000 per year weeks after the election is questionable and one wonders if even illegal, being that the same individual held this Budget Director position before the election. It is now his and only his second promotion to the same position.
At the least it political manipulation and truthfully proves Peru needs a city manager rather than a city clerk and budget director-treasurer.
The blog is not going to get into any discussion as to how the job done by the budget director compares to the job being done by the Peru Twp Clerk. This comparison is irrelevant to the functions that need to be taken care of by the municipal government. This is nothing more than an attempt to change the direction of the topic.
Most agree that the newly elected Treasurer does not possess the personality for a political occupation and lacks the desire to cooperate especially when questioned. If others were aware that immediately after elections the Treasurers office was to be changed to a salary of $24,000 instead of $6,000 they would have also run for the position.
It appears that the best approach to this situation is to report it to the Illinois Attorney General.
The "Budget Director" position was created by the Mayor 2 years ago (I think). Point is, the job of running the city finances is much bigger than $6K treasurer position. Frankly, I would question the qualifications of anyone that would want the job with $6K comp. But that is what we are stuck with in our current form of government. This highlights the reason we need to hire a CEO to run the City (A.K.A a City Manager with the appropriate credentials, certifications, and education). A City Manager will be expensive - but what is it costing us to run things as they are?
Lois - I can't find a reference to the new Peru Township Clerk in these postings - a few to the City Clerk. However, it should be noted that the City Clerk is a highly compensated individual for an elected official. I think that if we where to reorganize the government, the Clerk position would go away and that salary would be used as part of the Manager's salary, along with most of the Mayor's salary, and the "Budget Director's" salary.
Anon 6:26 If you question the qualifications of anyone that would want the job with $6K COMP do you also question the qualifications and honesty of those that post a $6K position on the ballot knowingly weeks after the election they are going to change it back to the $24K position of Budget Director.
Glad to hear that you agree with many of us who hope to see Peru have a City Manager.
Peru needs something or someone to take control of the reins, listen to the people, and move forward to make Peru a town to be proud of. I too believe a City Manager is the answer and I'd like to see that person be someone who is not connected directly to anyone or anything in Peru now. I believe that there is too much dissension and separation between our city officials and the common, ordinary citizen who has pride in his or her town.
6:26 the position of Peru City Clerk is one of great resposibility. The Township Clerk is one of great pay with no responsibility. The City Clerk supervises a number of employees, responsible for billing, collections, record keeping and general services for the City of Peru. The Township Clerk collects a nice paycheck. No party politics from the Peru City position, the position is voted for with the best candidate. The Township position?
The inadequate decisions made by the city administration has cost multiple times the cost of the city administration.
The cost of a city manager will save Peru a multifold of his/her salary with no increase in administrative expenses.
Recently someone asked at a public property meeting do you want a professional looking job or do you want volunteers in regards to planting flowers for the city. Elevating this question I ask do you want a Professional City Manager making the management decisions for Peru or do you want a group of higher paid volunteers to manage the City of Peru?
Presently the equivalent position of a City Manager who is in charge of the city of Peru has had no prior experience in management of a city, nor has he had any educational background or business experience. The City of Peru has become a $40,000,000.00 per year business. It is time for Peru to enter the modern century and adapt its ideas.
I believe that if we change the governement to Council - Manager, we can specify the education and credentials that the manager must hold.
Excellent point 9:33. The worst thing volunteer flower planters can do is kill flowers. The uneducated, inexperienced city officials can cost the taxpayers millions!
Anon 2:48 Why were they re-elected?
Anon 8:45 PM Good Question. If Rodney Perez is interested and stays on the same path he is travelling he is a shoo-in for Mayor of Peru next election, and Sherry M. if interested would be the chosen candidate for alderman of the 2d ward if she wants it.
The shame of it all is that we have four non progressive years until Harl is out.
There has to be a way to remove him from office!!
Anon 10:45 PM It is very evident that Harl would not have been reelected in a two person race. A incumbent who could only muster 35% of the vote is not considered a strong candidate.
The next election must be keep to a two person race for honesty and progress in Peru.
Anon 6:20 AM As Harl was reelected only 2 months ago and of the party in power in Illinois and nationally I believe you are asking for the impossible. Presently it is best to question all questionable decisions made by him and those in his chain of command. This includes about everything because he is responsible for all aspects of the government of Peru and has the weakness of being a hands off manager, as evidenced by no one being responsible for a landscapping firm working in the parks yesterday. Anon 10:45 is absolutely correct, to unseat Harl it has to be reduced to a two person election.
How many grievances have been filed against the city by its various unions in the past five years? I'd like to know the department and the number and the result.
How many grievances have ended up in arbitration?
Big deal 6:50 about grivances? What if the number was 0 or 500? Arbitration will always happen in a union shop, its the nature of the process.
Anon 9:32 Must be a big deal to you as upset as the question has made you. I can't see why you object to these questions unless you know that something is wrong with the number of grivances filed and settled. Most of the time a grivance is settled before arbitration and never reaches that level in a well run organization. Peru employees have become much more union orientated since certain a city official has become active with city departments. This involvement started before the elections of 2009 and have increased since he has taken office.
Anon 9:32 Are you serious? 500 grivances! Where and when did the union put them out of a job? Most employees today have learned that the employer owns the key to the door no matter what the union tells them. In fact unions have given such poor representation in the last 25 years that they are below 11% membership of the work force. Show me a right to work state and I'll show you where the jobs are!
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