Salem electors at the annual meeting Tuesday night overwhelmingly authorized the Town Board to explore and spend if necessary any or all of the $773,000 in the town’s Park Fund to purchase land.
Town administrator Patrick Casey explained the permission was sought so that the accumulated money could be spent if the right land was found without convening another electors meeting. Electors have to authorize the purchase of land by the town.
The urgency is that the town faces having to refund the Parks Fund money if it is not spent because it was gathered from impact fees on developers, Casey explained.
No specific parcel is under serious consideration for purchase, Casey said.
Impact fees can only be used for purchasing new land for parks and developing such parks facilities, Casey said.
The vote was 79 to 3 in favor of giving the Town Board authority to make a park land purchase using the accumulated impact fees over the next year. The authority would expire by the next annual meeting in April 2012.
The Town would still be better off eliminating the administrator position. As long as he’s there, you’ll still have “essence of Valentine”.
I couldn’t have said it better myself Mike!!
Personally, I think the Town should consider having a referendum on the whole administrator thing. The people can now see just what this position has cost the Town, and how it has and will affect the taxes for the future. My whole problem is that I voted for members of the Town Board to make decisions; however, it seems like the EMPLOYEE is making the decisions and NOT the people that I voted for! I do not want Mr. Casey representing me – I want the elected officials representing me. If the elected officials screw up, they won’t get re-elected; however, if Mr. Casey makes a mistake, will he really get “let go?” I doubt it!
Again,,,,,my sentiments exactly
How come only a few of us see this? And why at meeting don’t people speak out? When it was brought up last night at meeting by a citizen NOT ENOUGH PEOPLE BACK IT UP That was the time for us to unite More people need to take a stand not only with our local gov but right up to the white house enough is enough I,m in fl for the winter and you know wis makes the headlines EVERY DAY We are being watched by the whole country
Mike you obviously don’t have a clue on ToS. Linda was completely against having a Town Administrator.
Mike, Strat,
Diann Tesar hired the Town Administrator 3 months before Linda won the election in 2009.
If you want to blame someone blame Diann.
Remember, be careful what you hope for because you just might get it.
The TA costs us $125k per year with benefits.
The Town Board makes $45k a year.
You didn’t see the Town Board take a pay cut when they hired the TA, did you?
The Board spends approx 6 hours a month in meetings.
There are 12 months in the year.
That’s 72 hours for $7500 a year for supervisor, $15,000 a year for the Town Chairman.
That means the Town Chair earns over $200 an hour and a supervisor makes over $100 an hour.
Gosh I love to pay taxes.
Tinee
Tinee,
I wasn’t “blaming” anyone for the admin. person. I understand that Valentine was one of five, and I also understand that the majority of the board voted for the admin. My problem is – I don’t think that the town admin. understands that he is merely an employee, just like the building inspector, just like the treasurer, just like the clerk, etc. So, in other words, when the board tells him to do something, unless it’s against the law, he’d better do it, or start looking for another job! Unfortunately, for years, the board of salem has never been very confrontational. I still don’t understand how in the world some things ever happened when Valentine was on the Board. She would do stuff but, she was just one of five – where were the other four?
Hey Tinee,
Your figures are way off. You are cluless. You have no idea how many hours are put in from the board members. Did’nt Linda tell you?
Let’s see 125.000 for the TA Think your numbers are off. Guess you did’nt go to the meeting. You should ask your buddy Valetine how much she cost the town in 2 years. Lawyer fees and all the rest of crap she caused.
Hey are you the one that had the pre written speach by Valentine? The one that tried to make a motion but clustered it up so bad Big V asked you to step down?
With all the slander that the Big V said about Tesar I hope she sues her too!!
Thanks Mike I agree.
When the Board hired the TA they gave him the keys and walked away and said it’s all yours now. It takes three supervisors to override the TA. He is running the town
The TA costs the Town $125,000 a year with benefits. Just look at the Budget on line (although they have hidden it more this year, but it’s there)
Please tell me what a Supervisor does. Most of them don’t look like they have studied the material prior to the meeting and they try to read the stuff during the meeting.
I do a whole bunch of stuff too but that does not mean it is productive.
Valentine did not sue the town, the clerk did. she is costing the Town money and she still has a job, go figure.
Is Unknown Farmer the Supervisor that Tesar beat out for supervisor?
I am not the one how made the motions but your close. HAHA
Tinee
I think the board should be applauded for the job they do. They would make a lot more money working at mcdonalds for the hours they put in. Not to mention the clerk, even after having her deputy fired, I noticed our election went off with out a hitch. The poll workers did a wonderful and courteous job. I feel that now, we have an excellant board that will serve the town and get us back on the right track. No more self serving agendas, no more lies, and no more dictatorship!
WOW!!!! Lot of misconceptions here.
I have the 2011 Budget in front of me.
The TA’s salary is now broken up among 3 different Funds now. 80% General Fund; 10% Utility Fund; and 10% Storm Water Utility Fund.
The totals are:
Salary $92,300
Health Ins $12,200
Dental Ins $ 1,300
FICA/Medicare $ 7,061
Non Union Retirement $ 9,230
Total $122,091
You need to have the spreadsheet, handed out by the TA, at the first budget meeting to know this. The TA decided to hide his salary and benefits in the Budget.
Tinee says COST TO TOWN is $125,00. Looks like he/she is close enough.
If someone can tell me what the Board’s responsibilities are, or what they do, I sure would like to know, besides the meetings. I do know that I have Denny Faber’s expense report for last October for all of the alcohol he, and Joe Meier, bought and charged the taxpayers.
Linda never did get the job descriptions she asked for 2 years ago.
Diann brought us 3% R/E taxes every year; a Hwy/Fire Bldg at $11 M with a $600,000 cost overrun; Sewer fees.
Linda brought us a 1.9% R/E tax in 2010 and a $0 tax increase this year.
Under Diann, there was an advisory referendum and the town voted against a TA. The Board decided not to listen to the electors and hired one anyway.
He was hired in Jan 2009. Linda took office in April 2009.
The TA can do whatever he wants unless 3 Board members tell him NO. So he is more powerful than any two Board members. He just needs to know how to play the politics.
What does it say when Strat has to say that THIS election went off without a hitch. How about all of the other elections. They all should go off without a hitch.
Jim V.
I am the citizen who brought up the fact that the referendum asking the voters if a town admin. should be hired, FAILED. It was then, at an electors meeting, that the electors in attendance allowed the TOS Board to “explore and determine” (or something close to that wording) a less expensive alternative. Instead, the Board went ahead and hired Mr. Casey because they needed someone w/experience at getting Grant Money to help fund the Fire/Safety Bldg. As you know, the Grants did NOT come thru for us, so our taxes are going to be outrageous next year, and we pay a high salary to Mr. Casey (who gets an automatic 3% increase each year, who also does not live in WI, and who is not accountable to anyone! Not the Board, not you and not me! Plus health benefits and contracts)
My other idea to help save some money would have been to adjust this salary and make him accountable to the electors of this town. If he was hired to help the board, why not reduce the salaries of the board to reflect the Admin’s salary and benefits?
Why was the Board allowed to just appoint their choice for this position? Why do we as electors have to put up with being treated as though our voices DO NOT COUNT, unless we are working for the TOS?
ALL these positions should be elected positions, not appointed positions. How funny you think Linda V. wrote my questions! That is quite a compliment!! Sorry if you think I flubbed it up, but I did not see anyone else standing up for the rights of the electors. Most were just worried about skiing on the lake!!
jim v- Again you have twisted the truth to fit your own dillusions….if you will re-read my post you will see that what i said was “our election”, the word ‘”this” isn’t in there. There is a BIG differance, but heaven forbid the facts get in the way.
Strat,
“This” or “Our” does not change the meaning. The point is this is the first clean election we have had in number of elections.
The fact that you had to make mention of it proves my point. If we had not had so many problems with our elections in the past you would not have to make a point that we finally had a good one. And that is a shame.
And….. on top of that….Linda has nothing to do with the election. It is the Town Clerk’s responsibility. So I guess what you are saying is good job, Town Clerk, you finally got one right. That is all I can assume.
Also, of everything I wrote about, is that all you could find to take issue with?????
Tinee and Jim, Have either of you ever been in office? I would say “probably not”. For Jim to say that Linda waited for two years to get a job description is the funniest thing I’ve ever heard. Her job description, as is the job description for ANY elected official is to follow the state statutes that govern Towns – duh! As far as the clerk suing the Town and still having a job – well, I’ve been following that pretty closely and from what I understand, she was suing Linda Valentine, AND the Town – not just the Town. And hell, I’d sue too! The board should be ashamed of letting things get out of hand. “Strat” was correct – the elections went off without a hitch, especially in light of the fact that the TA got rid of the deputy clerk. In my years of living in this town, I don’t think it’s EVER been without a deputy clerk. And now, when the Town is growing by leaps and bounds, the board allowed that to happen? They should be ashamed of themselves. My guess is that the administrator has an assistant – but the clerk doesn’t? Funny how the state statutes acknowledge a Town Chairman, a Town Board, a Town Clerk, a Town Treasurer, but, where oh where is the Town Administrator? Oh wait – there isn’t one. You see, the “Town” positions are governed by the State Statutes – the administrator DOES work for the board. I don’t know of ANY administrator that is “more powerful” than a board member. And, if the Town of Salem’s administrator “thinks” that he’s more powerful – well then, someone on the board better just “clip his wings” a little bit. Mr. Faber and Mr. Meyer may have indulged some while at the meeting, but hey Jim, what kind of bill did your wife bring back? Plus, once again – what kind of attorney fees is the Town paying because she refused to listen to the attorney general’s advice and stop talking bad about the clerk on her little website? My guess is thousands. Any tax increase that she would have put on us for 2011 would have most likely covered attorney fees. The Town’s had some questionable board members in the past, but none of them ever got the town into a lawsuit. That’s something that Linda should be proud of. Just look at all of the bad publicity she’s brought the town. I’m hoping that the voters of this town pay close attention to who they vote for from now on – remember, not that long ago, the previous town clerk got Salem in the news (not in a good way either) – remember, she “borrowed” money from the Town. Then, it was the Town Chairman (Linda) that got the town in the news.
No matter what Jim has to say, what’s done is done – I’m just hoping that this new town board can right all the wrongs that have been done in the past.
Jim….there is a differance between “this” and “Our” but if you don’t have the mental capacity to understand that you might consider an english 101 class at parkside
By using the word “our”, i was referring to OUR election and not the whole judge Prosser vote count mess,,,,,,,,,, SO, No your point is not proven
And NO i wasn’t saying that the town clerk “finally” got one right, I was saying she and the poll workers did one hell of a good job, especially with NO deputy clerk to help
And No that’s not all i have to say about your comments,,,,,,,,,Diann never voted on the allocations for funding the new highway/fire house,,,,,,,,,she voted only to look at the costs of building it,,,,,,,,,she wasn’t even in office at the time of the vote
But don’t worry about an apology, I understand how foolish you must feel, making such unsubstantiated remarks
Strat,
“This” or “Our” is the same. It was an election. And I am happy we finally got one right without any screw ups. It is not who was on the ballot, it was the election itself.
Besides, no matter who is on the ballot, it is “my” or “our” election, and it was “this” election. If a ballot is screwed up it affects everybody.
Our poll workers consistently do a good job. I wrote an letter to Voice of the People (KN), and it was published in April of 2009, commending them on doing just that two years ago.
Prior to this clerk we didn’t have problems with our elections, regardless of who was on the ballot.
I have a copy of a signed resolution, by Diann, dated April 10, 2007, that says, “Whereas the Town Board of the Town of Salem has determined that there exists a need to design and construct a public works/fire rescue facility within the Town…”
Diann was the Town Chairman, it says the Town Board has decided…., she signed it acting as Chairman.
And then she voted for it as an elector at that meeting.
It also says “affirm that the foregoing resolution was duly adopted by the electors of the Town of Salem”. But nobody checked in the participants at the meeting so Diann had no way of knowing if all of the people there were electors of the Town of Salem. Linda and I were both at the meeting. That was Diann’s job. Linda started the check in when she took over in 2009.
If you want the whole thing I can scan it and e-mail it to you if you want to give me your e-mail…. Oh yeah, your hiding behind a nickname.
I can substantiate all of my remarks, but I will not drop to your level with the insults and name calling.
Jim
it appears that this site has now gone the way of the Kenosha News.
dareen allows people to make accusations against Linda but when someone comes on here with the facts he won’t allow them.
This has happened to others as well.
To see responses to Marcy and Start you can go to makingSalemBetter.com later today.
I will not be frequenting this site anymore so I will not be able to respond to the false accusations that Darren allows.
Jim Valentine
Go Figure!!! When faced with the “truth”, Mr. Valentine decides he doesn’t want to play anymore. You know what they say….. The TRUTH doesn’t hurt, it just makes you feel uncomfortable.
Quite Frankly, I’d rather comment on this site; the Making Salem Better website does not allow you to comment unless you’re one of the “chosen few” to be “accepted” to the website. Just for the heck of it, I’d like everyone reading this post to try to get on to the MSB website and see how quickly you get accepted, and then….. when you say something that Jim or Linda doesn’t like, you’re no longer allowed to participate on the website. Now, THAT doesn’t seem very fair, does it?
Thanks Mike!! I guess my 82 year old body just can’t take anymore slander about folks. I want our town back to normal and I hope the best for all of us going forward.
I need to finish my letter to the Attorney General.