Happy New Year Everyone! January 2024 means the first two years of Edgewood’s new Commission/Manager form of government is now in the books.
During this time, the Town has had four different Town Managers. On average that means a different Manager every six months. The Town Manager oversees administrative operations, implements Town policies and advises the elected Commissioners on all matters. The high rate of turnover among Town Managers has cost the Town money, contributed to missed deadlines, and damaged our reputation.
Another vital position in municipal government is that of Clerk/Treasurer. The Clerk/Treasurer is custodian of all records of Town proceedings and maintains the official copies of Town ordinances and resolutions. Three different individuals have served in this important position over the last two years. The first was hired as a Clerk/Treasurer. Later, the job was split into two different positions, Clerk and Treasurer. This change resulted in growing the bureaucracy and increasing the payroll. When this change proved unworkable, the Commission decided to backtrack and reconsolidate the two positions into one. The lack of continuity in this position was highly detrimental to providing effective government to the community.
Are you aware that during the past two years the Town has spent over $300,000 of your taxpayer dollars on numerous legal cases and attorney opinions sought by individual Commissioners?
Finally, did you notice that one of the Commissioners ran unopposed in the last two election cycles? Under the new form of government, the Town was divided into districts that a person must reside in in order to run for office. As a result, three Commissioners have faced no opposition at election time and therefore did not have to earn a seat on the Commission. Under the previous Mayor/Council form of government, Councilors ran at-large. There was a larger pool of candidates to choose from and a greater effort put forth by each candidate to gain the support of their constituency.
Give some thought as to how this change in government has worked for you. Is it meeting your needs, serving you well, being a good steward of your tax dollars? If not, perhaps it is time to consider disincorporation of the Town of Edgewood.
Linda Holle
Former Edgewood Town Councilor