Glen Ellyn president starts term with changes

Glen Ellyn residents were treated to something a little different when new Village President Mark Pfefferman presided over a board meeting this week.

He read a description of the village board and ways residents can participate, which he said he plans to read before every meeting to give newcomers an overview of the proceedings.

"It describes what our purpose is all about," he said. "My preference is always for more transparency."

Pfefferman also stayed after the meeting to allow for questions from the media and introduced the idea of inviting service organizations in town to lead the audience in the Pledge of Allegiance at the bi-weekly meetings and then give a three-minute description of what the group does.

Pfefferman also threw out the notion of sponsoring video broadcasts of the meetings for any interested businesses or groups.

The changes are some of the subtle differences Pfefferman has been working on since he was sworn in as president on May 11.

Since then, the village board workshop, which usually is not taped, was broadcast on television and on the Internet.

It was another campaign promise Pfefferman had made to ensure the village board's actions are available to the public.

The next change he hopes to make is to install a finance committee.

Pfefferman has said he'd like the committee to take a long-term look at the village's budget and suggest solutions to repeal a sales tax that was instituted this year.

The village attorney clarified the parameters of a finance committee Tuesday, saying Pfefferman also has the opportunity to have a series of advisers that don't necessarily form a village commission.

The board has discussed the proposal already but won't make any decisions on a finance committee until details are worked out.