Lake Zurich village manager receives 4-year contract extension
Lake Zurich Village Manager Jason Slowinski has received a four-year vote of confidence.
Village board members Monday night approved a contract extension for Slowinski to 2019. He was hired in 2012 to replace Bogdan "Bob" Vitas, who received an $85,000 cash payout after resigning as village administrator in November 2011.
Mayor Thomas Poynton and other elected officials have credited Slowinski for several achievements during his time in Lake Zurich, such as keeping the village about $200,000 below projected expenditures in the 2013-14 budget. Slowinski said he appreciated the extension.
"I think the village board likes the direction things are headed," Slowinski said after receiving the four-year extension. "And I appreciate working with them. I appreciate the support that they've given me and given our staff, in particular. I look forward to continuing the hard work and moving things forward."
Slowinski will have a $156,000 annual base salary when the four-year extension starts May 1. He'll receive 1 percent raises annually and have an opportunity for additional increases, based on merit, under a performance evaluation procedure.
Trustee Jim Beaudoin said the village has progressed under Slowinski's leadership. For example, Beaudoin said, there is hope for a long-stalled downtown revitalization as developers are now showing interest in possibly building condominiums on village-owned waterfront property.
"He's done a phenomenal job," Beaudoin said of Slowinski. "He's saved residents money. He's been more effective. He's been a really professional representative of Lake Zurich."
Slowinski was hired away from Des Plaines in 2012. He said he enjoys working for Lake Zurich because there is so much happening in the village.
"We've had some difficult challenges financially, but we're working our way through those," he said. "And we're right on the cusp of some exciting things downtown. And that's exciting for me. So, I look forward to getting some development happening and moving things downtown forward."