SOME THOUGHTS ON UPCOMING VILLAGE ELECTION

SOME THOUGHTS ON UPCOMING VILLAGE ELECTION

1.      An option would be to run three people as a party. All with a central theme: to open up the village governance.  Perhaps there could-would be other central issues.  The group of three would use an identifying name, to counter the village status-quo group.

2.      The group would immediately call for a revision of the Village open meetings policy.

3.      The group would insist that any policy being discussed would first be shared with the public, and then, after that input, a specific policy would be voted on. No business should be allowed to keep secrets from us for proprietary reasons. The board is first and foremost responsible to the citizens, not to an outside business.

4.      The group needs to push for a project manager to oversee all projects being started in the Village. Projects need to have timelines adhered to, fiscal accountability, and be able to show how any particular project will meet the needs and desires of the citizens. And perhaps what kind of payback we might expect.

5.      This group should stress that the directors are in charge and accountable for the direction of the Village, with input from the general manager. The general manager should not be in charge of the Village. He or she is not elected. The general manager is advisory.

6.      This group should make it clear that the committees used in the Village will be given projects and will be able to make suggestions about goals and directions the directors are planning before the fact, not after. The committees need a great deal of empowering. The current situation is like a cheerleading system devised for the directors. It is an affront to the very capable people we have in the Village. All the expertise and potential leadership we have in the Village needs to be utilized to the fullest extent.

There might well be other themes that the three persons might emphasis. This is my first impression of what at least six might look like.