It's Horcher's turn as Wheeling mayor

The second stage of a three-person rotation for Wheeling's presidency started Thursday, with Trustee Pat Horcher taking the reins.

Horcher took over for Trustee Judy Abruscato, who has been interim village president since Greg Klatecki announced his resignation last year.

Trustee Dean Argiris will take over Sept. 13, when Horcher's 233 days in the seat end. The village will vote for a new president during elections in April 2009.

"I really do look at this as an opportunity for Judy and I and Dean to audition for the village," Horcher said, since the three likely will run against each other for the position in 2009.

Horcher, who owns a flower shop, originally was elected trustee in 1995, after his family's farm was involuntarily annexed into Wheeling.

"I'm the fifth generation on our property, so that got me interested in paying attention to what was going on in the village," he said.

Horcher's father, Michael, also is on the village board, although Pat Horcher has seniority over his dad as trustee.

Horcher said one of his priorities during his presidency is to take care of some code discrepancies about the village president that don't match up with state law.

The issue came to trustees' attention when they were trying to figure out how to fill Klatecki's vacancy, he said.

Horcher said he also wants to make more of an effort to communicate to residents about what goes on at meetings.

"They'll read the very formal explanation of what's going on at a village board meeting, and I know 90 percent of the people sitting out there don't have any idea what's read," he said. "I want to start giving a common explanation of it."

Horcher said he's also going to try to attempt to have some structure when board members give comments.

"I want to stop the random commentary and the random bantering back and forth," he said. "I think it'll keep the meetings flowing much smoother."

Horcher will be sworn in at Monday's village board meeting.