Village officials have decided not to fill the vacant community relations director position and have opted instead to use a portion of the unused salary to pay for its annual festival.
After Gregg Mueller, former community relations director, resigned in July to pursue graduate studies, the village started looking for a replacement. When no one stepped forward, other staff members took on Mueller’s former duties, including publishing the village newsletter and guiding the cable commission.
Because staff members and volunteers apparently have those two areas under control, “we might as well just leave the position vacant,” Trustee James Addington said last week. “That way, we’re looking at saving at least $30,000.”
Instead, the village will pay a part-time employee $15,000 to coordinate the towns’s annual West Fest celebration and pump the remaining $15,000 into village operating expenses, trustees agreed.
The employee would work one day a week until August, when longer hours will be necessary in preparation for the September event, Addington said.