On the Ballot
MONROE - The City of Monroe Clerk's office released the names of candidates running for Monroe City Council in April. The filing deadline was Tuesday:
Ward 2: Paul Hannes, incumbent
Ward 4: Jan Lefevre, incumbent, and Daniel J. DeMuth
Ward 6: Keith Ingwell, incumbent
Ward 8: Dan Henke, Incumbent
Ward 10: Charles Schuringa, incumbent
MONROE - Running the City of Monroe is no easy matter.
That's one of the reasons Alderman Mark Coplien said he called for the council members to consider making a couple of changes during Tuesday's meeting of the Monroe City Council.
Coplien urged the city to find a way to hire a city manager, and suggested aldermen think about extending council terms from two years to three.
The first suggestion would require some budget restructuring, the second a charter ordinance.
"I'd like to see the Finance and Taxation Committee meet with the Salary and Personnel Committee and with the city treasurer to see if we can hire a city manager in any way, shape or form," Coplien said during the meeting. "I'd like us to take a hard look to see if that could happen."
Coplien is chairman of the Salary and Personnel Committee, with Chuck Schuringa as vice-chair, and Keith Ingwell, Dan Henke and Kent Kallembach as members, and Jan Lefevre as alternate.
The Finance and Taxation Committee consists of Chairman Kent Kallembach, Vice-chair Coplien, and members Charles Koch and Dan Henke, with Thurston Hanson as alternate.
Kathy Maurer is the city treasurer.
Following Tuesday's meeting, Aldermen Paul Hannes, Schuringa, Kallembach and Lefevre all expressed support of Coplien's idea for hiring a city manager.
The council fired the city's first administrator, Mark Vahlsing, last May and the position remains unfilled. Aldermen decided the 2009 budget was too tight to include paying for the position.
"On the administrator, yes, immediately," Schuringa said of his support. "Questionable on the other (three-year terms); I have reservations. But we do need an administrator. We have people stumbling all over each other," he said.
Schuringa said Mayor Ron Marsh has proven to be an ineffective "go-to" person for department heads.
Kallembach said finding money in the budget for an administrator would be "a challenge." But he thinks the committee and Maurer "can put something together and come up with a solution."
"We've got to get an administrator back in here," Hannes said. "If nothing else, set it up in the 2010 budget."
Lefevre thought both suggestions were good ideas, noting that longer terms for aldermen would not help her this year, as she faces a re-election challenge to a second term in April.
Coplien said he has been mulling the courses council members have taken in the past year and recognized the need for a city manager. He used the term "city manager" as opposed to "administrator" because of the official distinction the state makes between the two.
"I have to take a look and see what the differences are," he said after the meeting. "But I like the term manager."
Coplien believes a manger would be less expensive to hire than an administrator.
"They hired an administrator before I was on the council, but there is no way I would have agreed to pay $100,000 for an administrator," he said.
A city manager would be someone who could oversee the general business of the city and to whom department heads could go, Coplien said.
The Salary and Personnel Committee on Dec. 10 made Mayor Ron Marsh the "go-to person" for city department heads, in the absence of a city administrator. Without a vote, the decision was called a "general consensus" after the committee spent about an hour in closed session with the mayor.
Vahlsing, hired in 2006, was not fulfilling some of his duties, particularly in human resources, the council determined when it terminated his employment on May 13, 2008. Vahlsing also led the city's economic development efforts.
Economic development is one of the qualifications the Salary and Personnel Committee members have wanted in a new administrator. But the city now has support through the Green County Development Corporation and the Chamber of Commerce and Industry.
The Finance and Taxation Committee agreed this fall to enter into a new agreement with the Chamber to use its director, Pam Christopher, part-time for economic development.
The budget for an administrator, with about $120,000 in salary and benefits, was eliminated from the 2009 budget. A new budget was created for marketing, with $48,000 for professional services, operating supplies training, conference, dues and travel expenses.
Coplien wants to wait to look at the manager position until the 2008 budget has been audited. If there is any money left from 2008, Coplien thinks it could be used to hire a city manager.
"There are other projects that can use that money, too," he said.
As for extending terms for council members, Coplien said people do not realize the type of work aldermen do.
"It takes time for the department heads to know you and your style. It takes time for everyone to adjust," he said.
The extended term would help produce "a lot better harmony," Coplien said.
That's one of the reasons Alderman Mark Coplien said he called for the council members to consider making a couple of changes during Tuesday's meeting of the Monroe City Council.
Coplien urged the city to find a way to hire a city manager, and suggested aldermen think about extending council terms from two years to three.
The first suggestion would require some budget restructuring, the second a charter ordinance.
"I'd like to see the Finance and Taxation Committee meet with the Salary and Personnel Committee and with the city treasurer to see if we can hire a city manager in any way, shape or form," Coplien said during the meeting. "I'd like us to take a hard look to see if that could happen."
Coplien is chairman of the Salary and Personnel Committee, with Chuck Schuringa as vice-chair, and Keith Ingwell, Dan Henke and Kent Kallembach as members, and Jan Lefevre as alternate.
The Finance and Taxation Committee consists of Chairman Kent Kallembach, Vice-chair Coplien, and members Charles Koch and Dan Henke, with Thurston Hanson as alternate.
Kathy Maurer is the city treasurer.
Following Tuesday's meeting, Aldermen Paul Hannes, Schuringa, Kallembach and Lefevre all expressed support of Coplien's idea for hiring a city manager.
The council fired the city's first administrator, Mark Vahlsing, last May and the position remains unfilled. Aldermen decided the 2009 budget was too tight to include paying for the position.
"On the administrator, yes, immediately," Schuringa said of his support. "Questionable on the other (three-year terms); I have reservations. But we do need an administrator. We have people stumbling all over each other," he said.
Schuringa said Mayor Ron Marsh has proven to be an ineffective "go-to" person for department heads.
Kallembach said finding money in the budget for an administrator would be "a challenge." But he thinks the committee and Maurer "can put something together and come up with a solution."
"We've got to get an administrator back in here," Hannes said. "If nothing else, set it up in the 2010 budget."
Lefevre thought both suggestions were good ideas, noting that longer terms for aldermen would not help her this year, as she faces a re-election challenge to a second term in April.
Coplien said he has been mulling the courses council members have taken in the past year and recognized the need for a city manager. He used the term "city manager" as opposed to "administrator" because of the official distinction the state makes between the two.
"I have to take a look and see what the differences are," he said after the meeting. "But I like the term manager."
Coplien believes a manger would be less expensive to hire than an administrator.
"They hired an administrator before I was on the council, but there is no way I would have agreed to pay $100,000 for an administrator," he said.
A city manager would be someone who could oversee the general business of the city and to whom department heads could go, Coplien said.
The Salary and Personnel Committee on Dec. 10 made Mayor Ron Marsh the "go-to person" for city department heads, in the absence of a city administrator. Without a vote, the decision was called a "general consensus" after the committee spent about an hour in closed session with the mayor.
Vahlsing, hired in 2006, was not fulfilling some of his duties, particularly in human resources, the council determined when it terminated his employment on May 13, 2008. Vahlsing also led the city's economic development efforts.
Economic development is one of the qualifications the Salary and Personnel Committee members have wanted in a new administrator. But the city now has support through the Green County Development Corporation and the Chamber of Commerce and Industry.
The Finance and Taxation Committee agreed this fall to enter into a new agreement with the Chamber to use its director, Pam Christopher, part-time for economic development.
The budget for an administrator, with about $120,000 in salary and benefits, was eliminated from the 2009 budget. A new budget was created for marketing, with $48,000 for professional services, operating supplies training, conference, dues and travel expenses.
Coplien wants to wait to look at the manager position until the 2008 budget has been audited. If there is any money left from 2008, Coplien thinks it could be used to hire a city manager.
"There are other projects that can use that money, too," he said.
As for extending terms for council members, Coplien said people do not realize the type of work aldermen do.
"It takes time for the department heads to know you and your style. It takes time for everyone to adjust," he said.
The extended term would help produce "a lot better harmony," Coplien said.