Round Lake Beach mayor puzzled over clerk vote

The decision by Round Lake Beach voters to keep the village clerk as an elected position instead of being appointed by the village board left Mayor Rich Hill scratching his head on Wednesday.

"I really don't understand it," he said. "I really feel it's better for the village to appoint a clerk, but if the voters don't agree, then we'll go with an elected one."

Unofficial results Tuesday showed 3,947 people voted to continue to elect the clerk, while 3,106 voted the change to appoint the clerk. Totals do not include absentee or provisional ballots.

The clerk's position is currently vacant in Round Lake Beach. Deputy clerks have been taking over the role since the former clerk stepped down in July. Hill said a new clerk would be elected to the position in April of 2009.

Hill said he was stunned when watching the vote totals come in, adding that maybe residents voting on the issue do not understand the mostly administrative duties of a village clerk. There is also an issue of money: An elected clerk makes $10,000 a year, while an appointed employee would receive $2,000.

"If we try to do this again, it won't be for another four years," he said. "And, if we do try it again, we'll try and educate the voters about the position a little better."

Round Lake Beach wasn't trying to break new ground by making the clerk position an appointed job. In 2006, Vernon Hills residents voted to make the village clerk an appointed position. Vernon Hills officials said they favored the switch in 2006 because the job had become more specialized and clerical in nature.

But, Hill said the board will just have to deal with the situation the same way it's been done in the past.

"It won't be as streamlined now, but we'll do what the voters want," he said. "I mean, in the end, it doesn't really change much as far as what happens in the village every day."