Economic Development Director Bob Vickrey discussed the economic development project
sports complex. Is he referring to LaSalle? I did notice that Vickery is budgeted for $7000 in the 2015 Budget.
The CFO mentioned in the 2015 Budget created by Budget Director Gary Hylla has several line items for a Chief Financial Officer paid 65,000 plus, My understanding this was inserted by the request of the Accounts and Finance Committee.
The salaries in the 2015 budget are Treasurer 5,800 per year and an additional 19,500 as Budget Director. Add the 65,000 proposed for the new CFO with the additional administrative under the electric enterprise fund (13,800) and the water and sewer enterprise fund of (6,800) and it appears that we have enough money budgeted for a City Manager. According to some web sites salaries vary from a low of 40,000 to over 164,000+. And if the referendum had passed we would have had an additional 7,400 and coming to a total of 97,00.
Evidently we have more than enough money to hire a city manager NOW and all we need is the courage at City Hall to do it.
Added: 10/28 PM 4/16/14
I have come to the conclusion that if the city council really wants something, the mayor generally steps aside as long as they don't interfere with what he really wants to do.
The Finance Committee really wants to hire a CFO as a paid appointed position.
I found this information interesting:
https://government.georgetown.org/city-management/council-manager-form-of-government/
46 comments:
That's an accounting method to try and confuse us. I noticed that with another appointed position by Harl regarding their multi-tasking job descriptions. Doesn't take a CPA to notice it.
There are many positive things in the pipeline at the city. Start giving all the facts instead of the cherry picking approach. The majority of us are thrilled and are happy to see the city moving forward. The naysayers on this blog are afraid that their time is about up. They hate to admit the good things and are living in the past. Thank you Lois for posting both sides.
Not related to this subject but I hear that Studer and Bernabei and Mitchell are leading the way to make real reform at the township. Hear also that Hocking and Rigby and Weberski are now working politically together and have had more executive sessions in a year then in the history of the town. Strange bedfellows. Keep up the good work Chuck Doug and Ed. Travis...is this correct?
What does the 2015 budget line for bottled water amount to? Everywhere I have worked I've had to pay a $1 or more per bottle. Only in Peru does the representation have the mind set that they should be compensated and taken care of from the womb to the tomb.
Hiring a city manager will not do any good without changing to the Council Manager form of government. If we keep the same government, the manager will have no statutory power and WILL BE controlled by the Mayor. By changing the government, the Manager will have power - in particular, the Mayor and Council will have very little to say about the day to day operations of the City. All hiring and firing will be controlled by the Manger.
@9:32 Would you be kind enough to share the many positive things in the pipeline at the city of Peru that the majority of us are thrilled and happy to see the city moving forward can share with the naysayers.
In sharing this pipeline of success you may convert the naysayers. One of the strong suits of naysayers they are only converted by solid facts not pipeline promises. So here is your opportunity!
Do you consider success a City Treasurer asking for more tax revenue in a city receiving the highest sates tax in the entire county. A county which has a city twice its size and a city 1/3rd larger in population. In the financial division this would be referred to as being upside down, do you consider this positive, negative or another opportunity for Peru creative financing?
Will the council move road work from ward to ward or go straight line this year to save 30 cents on each dollar? There has to be a reason that such a historical spendthrift financial policy continues and similar to the TEST 5th rider never addressed openly by the council. Peru today has two major problems, one being a spending problem the other being although the Mayor & council have changed faces weak and improper city management ideas have not. Is the reason that ideas do not change because Peru officials are becoming involved for own self gain rather than city benefit. Sadly it appears so!
9:37 ANON
Sounds like more self-promotion if anything at. Is the Township Clerk still making $2100.00 a meeting? Is more given out to those in need? That is what we term progress!
We need a city manager. Harl talked about he being frugal. Really? That is insanity! He has cost us taxpayers money, not helped us. Who is he trying to fool? How magical.
Maybe this city manager-mayor dilemma is being observed completely wrong and all that has to be done is work to get intelligent, honest and truthful incumbents to manage the city in its present city structure. The answer could be simple rather than sophisticated, sort of like putting air in a flat tire rather than inventing a new one.
To 9:32 - Please elaborate on what you see as moving forward. The subject being discussed and the questions being asked have to do with what kind of behind the scenes scheming are the elected officials up to concerning CFO's or whatever other phony-balony title they are trying to sneak through the budget. 9:45 am makes a good point, and I suspect the Finance Committee is trying to create the appearance that a CFO will eliminate the need for the city to switch to Council-Manager form of government. The current group of elected officials in Peru, with the exception of Perez, will be very opposed to the possibility of Council-Manager because it would eliminate the political glad-handing and protectionist behavior the aldermen and mayor exploit for themselves and their favorite business interests in Peru. This CFO thing is just another scam and slight of hand by Harl, Hylla, Vickrey, and the Gang of Seven.
Political and job security. You never know what's in that box of chocolates. Time is in the essence. 2017 will be here. Faces will change, and hopefully people under Harls spell will have to fend for themselves. Might be good now for some.
10:25 AM
This dilemma will not solve itself. Just look at the city right now and none of this was not seen be the elected before it happened. They knew Gary Bleck was going to retire, they knew Jim Potthoff was going to retire and instead of having new people in place we have a police chief and fire chief running all the departments plus the police department and the fire department. And throw in zoning for good measure. This is no way to run a city. A city manager would never have allowed this to happen. What happened with our city engineer should never have happened but it is what does happen without good management.
Each day that goes by this city is falling further behind in spite of what the economic community development position is telling you.
9:32so the nay Sayers cherry pick the bad.
Please, feel free to Cherry pick the good! Tell us.
I truly am all ears.
To 9:37 and 10:23 am, Why don't you ask your "sources" or better yet, ask the new people who were elected to Peru Township office how reform was made possible in last year's township elction?
Do you have a clue? Your comments indicate you lack even the basic understanding of who, what, where, or when about anything or anybody who was or is currently involved in reforming Peru Township.
1:09 More aid, less salaries for elected officials? Simple.
Hocking is going to hate the job in 3 years...less salary and he will answering phones in office...Wont be worth more than 20k in 3 years, he has stolen enough salary from tax payers already!
Maybe Pothoff needs a new position to add to his inflated salary at YMCA...What a joke this city has become....Other cities continue to laugh at us...
The list of positives is endless but for some reason some of you have your head in the sand. Face the facts. Just a few but here is a start/ 1 million in wages being saved each year because many less employees over last 5 years. Without new debt 10 million in roadwork already done with 2.5 million more a year every year. sewer separation projects all over town. many new businesses currently in negotiations to come to Peru. Debt load in city significantly reduced over last 5 years and not increased. Lowest tax rates of all IV cities. Competitive electric rates, lowest water and sewer rates of all IV cities. Lowest garbage rates of all IV cities. Yes our sales tax is a half cent higher then other IV communites....it is called roads and school which was voted on by the people. These are easily verified facts. If you dispute these be specific with proof otherwise it is more of the same. I don't always agree with the city officials but they should be given credit when due. The voters continue to speak and soundly are not buying into the propaganda and clearly like what they see and are proud of Peru. Time to sit back now and watch you go to town with the replies. You should sign your names for once...na everyone knows who you are already..lol
hey big shout out to the guys at the street department...you guys rock. I am so impressed with all the work getting done already this spring. Keep it up!
got to agree with 503. Nailed it!
Lois...has a slander suit been filed by several people against anonymous bloggers for posts over last 3 years? If so do you have to provide records like the times did?
Ok...let's start with the saved wages. Many less employees...can you give dollar examples from the budgets over those years.
I do not see one million saved at all. I see reduced number of employees with higher wages to those remaining. It's a clever way to purge and reward, but is not really saving now is it?
Would Brian like to add to this?
Yes 10 million billed Roadwork, with 30 per cent over paid.
Turn a pork barrel gor funneling money out of our city into the pockets of 150.
Sewer projects implemented as reaction to past negligence and Chamlin bad engineering.
Next you will be pointing to the great westclox renovation and Power Plant park.
Bungled demolitions that are mandated are NOT projects, nor are emergency sewer band aid projects.
Debt load reduced... Yes with a little robbing Peter to pay Paul slight of hand, and a bit of gouging to captive industrial Utility users.
Competitive Electric rates, huh? Finally not claiming lower rates anymore are we? You may be right on the other utility claims... The smallest Household budget items , easily eaten up by the little half cent retail tax rate you mentioned.
Wasn't it a whole penny? Oh well, a few percent more on every damn thing we buy here!
Let's hear about these businesses currently "in negotiations". Why not put them up against the ones who have closed shop during the Mayors tenure, and add in the ones who opened.
Vickrey thinks negotiations is anyone who doesn't hang up on him when he calls.
I know we can't learn the names of these business thinking of coming here, as the negotiations are so sensitive. If the gourmet burger shop gets out, Ottawa will surely counter.
Rarely do blog and often times I am a bit cynical but I agree that Peru is headed the right direction. I know it all cant be perfect but I will say that recently things are improving.
The voters voted almost 7 to 3 against you bozos. You just carefully split the difference. Nobody even needs propaganda against your endless positives.
Give me a real one, besides cheaper Garbage rates. We should get cheaper garbage rates. So much BS gets shoveled out of City haul, we should get a qty discount.
enjoy the Kool-Aid losers! And enjoy your day in court...yep
I agree why use the facts..that is no fun...attacking good people for some self serving satisfaction is a shame. Thank god that most people think this blog has gone over the top. Not your fault Lois. You always sign your name and you never make it personal. But how about your buddies. They are hurting your reputation in Peru. Don't let it happen.
This guy is costing the city money we are not stupid here city is heading towards shambles where is the big savings too-he is outsourcing everything we people need to think about the things that have happened here
Ameren and all other non public companies getting big rate increase so all of a sudden our rates are again lowest in area. Thanks peru.
I saw the township supervisor at Hyvee at 11am the other day, I guess we are paying him to shop for his groceries....how do you get that job
Voters only voted for the school tax increase. The road tax increase was voted on by the council and won 5-4 with the mayor breaking the tie.
Regarding lawsuits relating to slander. Not ever gonna happen. Imagine what could come out of the bag if that were to happen. Besides slander is a very hard to prove. Freedom of speech, and slander can be manipulated in a courtroom. If I were to blog something and one thought
It to be slanderous, I would be able to back my blog up with facts as to why I blogged what I did. Using the lawsuit card isn't going to scare people as to their opinions and facts per say.
I heard that Boss Harl wants to tax FedEx and UPS deliveries because people are ordering to much on line. He also wants to charge a "road tax" to register your car in Peru.
5:03 pm, How about you sign your name instead of telling someone else to do so?
First of all the 10 million in roadwork number is inflated and the road and sewer work is not debt free, it was all financed one way or another. Don't you remember the first thing they did after the half-cent sales tax was increased was to borrow against it. C'mon, be honest about it. All the infrastructure work is a good thing and those of us who understand Peru politics know it's being done for two reasons and two reasons only. First and foremost is because Peru is run by an engineering firm, not a city council, and it is in Chamlin's financial interest to promote as much work as possible. They essentially write their own check. The sales tax increase was "engineered" by them, and for them. Secondly, the city's surface and underground infrastructure is physically falling apart at the seams due to years of neglect.
Your "tooting the horn" that your city is in disrepair and trying to sell a "story" that the work is already paid for. It's not! That's fantasy. It all comes with debt. A city paying off its debt is admirable, but it's not a sign of unlimited prosperity. The "debt load" you cite remains huge and will remain huge for many years because there is so much infrastructure work that remains to be done. I repeat, it's good that work is being done to repair a crumbling and neglected infrastructure. However, the political influences on what get done and how it gets done, and the incompetent Peru elected officials who are so easily manipulated by the business interests of the city are why I and many others remain skeptical of the future of Peru. Scratch the surface of Peru just below all that good feeling about Sales Tax Revenue and you reveal a city with no real leadership or vision. Weak and indecisive aldermen and a self-serving mayor, clerk, tresurer, and economic developer. Considering the "real potential" of Peru we should be doing all the things you claim we are doing. But the truth is, you refuse to scratch the surface for fear of what lies below.
It's a house of cards.
New budget How much could be saved by installing a water fountain and not buying bottled water? Been drinking city water 40 plus yrs. and im still here 80 yrs. and counting. rebuttal hopefully. 6:31
5:03 pm, Everyone knows who you are, lol. Since I responded to your claims please show me the same courtesy by responding to my claims of incompetence, lack of leadership and vision specifically concerning the ridiculousness of hiring a City Engineer and losing him in less than six months due to a lack a of support from a city council unwilling to stand up to Chamlin & Associates by backing up the Engineer and allowing him to do what engineers do. Next, explain to us why our council is unable to provide "professional" management to its Public Works Department and its Electric Department and why we have unqualified individuals with no real knowledge of these departments in charge of something they know nothing about. Also, please elaborate on the "botched" and "theatrically produced" Payroll ivestigation staged by your city council. Please point out the positive and favorable aspects of a "Kangaroo Court" report that completely ignored the seriousness of the scandal and exposed the slimy underbelly of Peru and LaSalle County's political influence machine working to protect one of it's own from accountability and prosecution. I wait to hear from you on the "positives" exhibited by these elected officials you claim are doing such a stellar job. Also, please comment on the Federal Bureau of Investigation having to come to Peru because your city council refused to confront its own demons instead of trying to run from them. Look forward to hearing from you on these matters asap.
5:26 I think you mean libel not slander. And it is both difficult to prove , and needs to be much more specific than the posts on this blog.
In particular , statements about activities by public officials, or there record, generally get tossed.
Give some hard examples of a blog post that libels an individual. You must prove that the specific allegation did actual, tangible harm to a person or their reputation.
Saying I saw someone using a city truck at a wrong time perhaps? But did the post result in being fired, suspended, public ridicule causing harm? Most posts say no one even pays attention to this blog, it is openly opinion, hardly claimed as fact, and similar blogs are all over the Internet.
If the sole purpose of suing is to get names of bloggers for intimidation purposes, the judge would consider that before demanding a list of IP addresses and anonymous bloggers. There has to be some true , tangible intentional lie published that harms. If it is political in nature, by the viictors own statements, the blog does no harm, and they continue to win elections. The instance you reffered to was very different.
In over two years watching and posting to this blog, I saw only one post that named individuals in the commission of a serious felony. That was taken down immediately.
8:59 at a minimum the township supervisor has a task and shows up for work. Did you know the Township Clerk makes $2,000.00 a meeting for 30 minutes a month?
9:14 am,
Good for him. He's a good man who was elected in 2013 and has nothing to do with setting salaries at Peru Township. I'm sure he would be very accomodating to your questions or concerns, "if" you had the courage to approach him face to face.
Ah hah! That's what I thought.
8:06 very professionally stated. Couldn't have said it better. Advice to all that have a problem with stating that slanderous statements have been blogged. Don't put the cart before the horse. Many more things could come out.
Sounds like alot of sour grapes on here...Peru government from the city to Township does not need more employees it needs less and both are irresponsible with taxpayer money.
859 the township meetings are now an hour and 29 minutes longer than the previous good ole boys club. I'm LOL at your idiot comment. Smart people know when change is good.
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