Company to help Wauconda find new police chief
Wauconda officials will lean on a recruiting company to help find the town's next police chief.
GovHR USA, a Northbrook company, will be paid $15,000 for its work.
Wauconda's current chief, Patrick Yost, is set to step down in early July. He's led the department since August 2013.
Trustees unanimously agreed to hire GovHR USA after a brief discussion during Tuesday night's village board meeting.
GovHR USA helped lure Village Administrator Doug Maxeiner to Wauconda in late 2013. It's also been leading the search for a new finance director, but that effort has proved fruitless so far.
Hiring a finance director may be further delayed because of anticipated budget issues. Maxeiner has recommended not filling the post, but several board members on Tuesday said someone needs to be brought aboard to manage the town's money.
Yost, who has spent 26 years as a cop in Wauconda, announced plans to retire in late May. His contract as chief expires July 9, and that'll be when his tenure ends, officials have said.
Yost's ascension to chief was controversial.
His predecessor, Douglas Larsson, was forced out of the job by Mayor Frank Bart shortly after Bart took office in May 2013.
Bart initially named Yost the town's interim police chief without a board vote. The mayor eventually asked the board to make Yost chief in June 2014, and the trustees supported the nomination.