Help. Really. I Need You to Help Me and Yourself.

As you know, we are in the process of choosing a new Village Manager.  As of three nights ago, we had 39 applicants.  There is a Village resident committee--12 residents-- already chosen to review all of the applications and whittle whatever number it is down to three.  Those three "finalists" will be referred to the Commission for examination and eventual selection as the new Manager.  I assume we will have a public session to interview the three finalists, as we did three years ago.  Everyone is welcome to attend that session.

As you might also know, this is our first year having Village (Commission) elections during the general election, which is the first Tuesday in November.  Candidates will be able to declare themselves about six weeks or so before that, so early to mid September.

We will have chosen a new Manager by the time Commission candidates declare themselves, and certainly well before new Commissioners are elected.

Although everyone in the Village can interact with the Manager, it is Commissioners who interact most with the Manager, and it is the Commissioners, and only the Commissioners, who control the employment of the Manager.

As the schedule of events is now, the current Commission will hire the new Manager, and the next Commission will have to work closely with him or her.  This is precisely, coincidentally enough, what happened the last time we hired a Manager.

As is always true, three Commission seats will be in play this year.  I am personally not running for re-election.  I have no idea, and no reason to know, if Bob Anderson or Barbara Watts is running.  As of early November, there will be anywhere from one to three new Commissioners.

You're not allowed yet to declare publicly that you want to run for Commission this year.  But if you plan to run, or even if you're thinking seriously about it, I would like to know.  I won't tell anyone you "declared" yourself to me.  I'm about to take a role in hiring the Manager with whom you will work, and I want you to have an inside track and as much influence as possible in the choice of that person.  I don't promise to hire whomever you say, but I'll give you as much weight as I can, and I'll discuss the matter with you.