I say let Mike Oleson run for alderman!
If there’s one thing I’ve learned in the last seven years, it’s that local government is fraught with all kinds of conflicts of interest. It’s the nature of the beast! From County Board members right on down to those lowly alderman, if you’ve enjoyed the kind of success that makes you a good candidate, then conflicts are bound to arise. But that’s not necessarily a bad thing! Don’t we want local elected officials who have deep roots in the community? Don’t we want candidates who have experience running a business? Don’t we want alderman who’ve actually made something of themselves? So I was a little surprised when Mayor Burns took an opposing view at the City Council COW’s 8-2 notion to follow in the state’s footsteps by changing the city …
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Does anyone really trust this process?
Whenever Rick Nagel and I engage in our frequent journalistic debates, we sometimes end up commiserating about how getting a call-back from City Hall can be tougher than trying to pull chicken teeth. While I certainly understand municipal folks’ reticence to talk to inquisitive folks like me, stonewalling only makes us more inclined to pull harder. But even if we didn’t, silence leads to public speculation and the public's speculative conclusions are almost always worse than the truth. The recent Geneva ethics investigation—or apparent lack of one—is a prime example of how this phenomenon plays out. Of course, I'm talking about the fallout from Mayor Kevin Burns “inadvertent” usage of his city sponsored e-mail account for campaign purposes…
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11:42 am on Friday, March 16, 2012
It seems ridiculous to me that the city attorney should have to recuse himself in this case. These types of situations are bound to occur in a small town where everybody has some sort of past or present relationship. That's part of the charm of a small town and something we should cherish. We should merely acknowledge those relationships exist, offer our opinion, and let people decide for … more ›
City Hall's fate is dependent on the library' successful relocation to the Cetron property.
Geneva’s City Hall is tight on space. While the building, at 22 South First St., is 10,000 sqaure feet, a recent space study revealed that the city needs at least 20,000 square feet to efficiently serve Geneva residents. “We literally don’t have enough space in this building to just have meetings related to our departmental functions,” said Director of Community Development Dick Untch. “We have two conference rooms and that’s it.” More than 100 volunteers that serve on various committees and commissions need room to meet, as well. The limited space leads to a constant juggling of schedules. A recent agreement passed by the City Council gave the city the option to purchase the current library at 127 James St., if the library successfully …
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Jennifer Anderson
10:23 am on Tuesday, October 2, 2012
Now let us sign the petition to encourage the official vote on the matter. Then let the people decide with their vote who is best qualified to be First Ward Alderman. http://www.change.org/petitions/geneva-city-council-amend-the-geneva-liquor-license-ordinance# more ›