Pingree Grove might make do without administrator
Pingree Grove is facing tough choices now that Village Administrator Bill Barlow has announced he will leave his post Sept. 23 to work in Maywood.
Forget debating about whether the village needs a full- or part-time administrator — the board might not even replace Barlow until next year to help eliminate a $50,000 budget hole, officials said.
Barlow and the village attorney are performing a needs assessment analysis and will present it to the village board at its Sept. 12 committee-of-the-whole meeting, Village President Greg Marston said.
Based on that analysis, the board might consider whether trustees and staff members can divvy up among themselves the administrator's duties on an interim basis, Marston said.
The village already has received queries from candidates interested in replacing Barlow, Marston said.
“Long term the village needs a part-time village manager,” he said. “Beyond that, if it financially makes sense, it might one day be a full-time position.”
Barlow was hired in July 2010 to work 25 hours per week at a salary of $58,900, though he said he works about three to four extra hours per week on average.
Right now, Pingree Grove is OK with a part-time administrator, but it all depends on whether his successor will be assigned extra duties in the areas of economic development and grant-seeking, Barlow said.
Trustee Bernie Thomas, a longtime proponent of hiring a full-time administrator, said he knows his wish isn't financially feasible right now.
“If we are to grow, we have to have someone looking for and working with prospective businesses,” Thomas said.
The village has benefited from Barlow's work ethic and experience, Public Works Supervisor Pat Doherty said. The amount of work he's knocked out in a year has been phenomenal,” said Doherty, who also works part time.
Although it is up to the village board to decide how many hours the next administrator should work, Doherty said he also wonders if hiring another part-time administrator inevitably will lead to that person seeking a full-time job at some point.
“I think ultimately it comes back to, ‘Can you keep someone who is as qualified as Bill forever on a part-time salary with no benefits?'” he said. “I don't know.”