By Jennifer Eisenbart
Editor
After narrowing a field of 55 down to seven, the City of Burlington Common Council had hoped to name three finalists for the vacant city administrator position Tuesday night.
As it turns out, the council only needed to name two.
With Village of Mukwonago Administrator John Weidl dropping out of the selection process Tuesday afternoon, the council named City of Burlington Director of Public Works Craig Workman – one of two internal candidates – and Carina Walters of Fox Lake, Ill. as the two finalists.
Mayor Bob Miller said he hoped to have an offer extended by Wednesday evening, which was past press deadline. Visit www.myracinecounty.com for the decision.
The council had a nearly three-hour closed session Tuesday night to review the results of Tuesday’s assessment center and compare notes on the initial interviews.
“There was a lot of things talked about,” said Miller, who added that the discussion covered not just possible candidates, but potential compensation.
“You have eight people in a room, and they have different opinions,” Miller explained.
Also on the list of seven finalists were: James Krischke of Republic, Mo.; Steven Wilke of Lake Mills; and Brian Wilson of Beloit, as well as Megan Watkins, director of administrative services for the city.
All seven candidates came in Monday for the initial interviews and then met various members of the Burlington community during a meet-and-greet event Monday evening.
That event drew everyone from local business leaders to local Pastor Scott Carson to staff from the Burlington Area School District.
In addition to getting a chance to answer questions asked by community leaders, each candidate also made about a five-minute speech outlining his or her experience and skills.
While most of the candidates said the most common question they got was on how to keep the community economy moving forward, Walters said she faced another frequent query.
“Whether or not I’ll move into Burlington,” Walters explained. She said she wouldn’t have a problem moving here, but she would wait until after the probationary period of the job was over.
Walters would be coming from the City of Lake Forest, Ill., where she is assistant city administrator.
“It is a very affluent community,” said Walters of Lake Forest. One of the largest projects she is currently working on is an underpass for the rail service in town to cut down on safety issues, and also on getting an Amtrak station placed there.
During her public presentation, Walters also stressed that she wanted to create strong relations with the community.
“This step for me is a very large step. I need to make sure that the community is going to like me, and I can also fit in with the community,” she said. “There are a number of initiatives that really interest me. I can’t wait to dig in.”
Workman, meanwhile, said he had a unique opportunity coming from inside the city.
“The way I look at it, I’ll either have the benefit of being Burlington’s next city administrator – or I’ve just been given a first-hand opportunity to convince my next boss I deserve to keep my job,” Workman said.
He offered up some brief background – including his decision to move to Wisconsin when he got married – and his move up the ladder in Fontana and then to Burlington.
Workman made a brief summary at the end of his presentation.
“I’m passionate about people, I’m passionate about communication, I’m passionate about government transparency and I hope you guys fill out your card with me,” Workman rattled off in about seven seconds.
Miller said he really didn’t have a good feel as to who would be the better candidate, though the assessment center – hosted by the recruiting firm of Gov HR – did help narrow the field.
His main goal is to keep the city moving forward.
“The last thing I want is the city to become stagnant, or move backward,” Miller explained.
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“The last thing I want is the city to become stagnant, or move backward,” Miller explained.
Too late…. its been that way for YEARS!
I’m sorry, but I think our city is moving forward in the direction, at the right pace. By the way, if you don’t the city, then why don’t you move!
Seems to me you are the one who is stagnate and needs to get up and go for a walk around this City. Development has been steady – Landmark Credit Union, O’Reilly’s, new Aurora facility being developed, improved infrastructures and utilities, improved downtown street lighting, businesses cleaning up their store fronts, restaurants investing in renovations (Lucky Star, Coffeehouse), brand new apartment complex just completed with a new one about to be built, potential new developers seeking to create possible new jobs, Echo Lake Foods choosing to stay in Burlington allowing people to keep existing jobs, etc etc etc….
Burlington is a great city filled with some really amazing people who care and take pride in this community. If you’re so incredibly unhappy here, then maybe it’s you, not the Mayor that needs to go.
” new Aurora facility being developed, improved infrastructures and utilities, improved downtown street lighting, businesses cleaning up their store fronts, restaurants investing in renovations (Lucky Star, Coffeehouse), brand new apartment complex just completed with a new one about to be built, potential new developers seeking to create possible new jobs, Echo Lake Foods choosing to stay in Burlington allowing people to keep existing jobs, etc etc etc….”
Everything listed above was from money stolen from taxpayers and given to the connected n friends of those like Miller. Something tell me these cheerleaders like you are on the gravy train. How does it feel to be a thief that can’t compete on your own?
Burlington has grown too large to be governed by a part-time mayor and city administrator, both population-wise and square miles, given the recent annexation from Lyons.
Time for residents to lobby the city council to abolish the city administrator position and advocate for a full-time mayoral position.
Imagine the cost savings alone of such a move!
Then if you think the mayor is doing a lousy job, as many naysayers felt Kevin was, simply cast a ballot to have them cast out of office.
Anybody support this idea?
Burlington’s not as it was 30-40 years ago, when this modus operandi did the trick.
Any takers if the role paid, say, $60,000 a year?
Think of the cost savings to the city and step it up, Burlington residents!
Yes! Two year term for mayor at about 60k.
You wont get that though. They went to administrator so they could shirk responsibility while pushing city dollars/favors toward buddies so those buddies give them other work/favors down the road.
Just got off the morning drive roads in Burlington – no consistent plowing or salt etc., dangerous/almost undriveable. But it looks like they’re promoting not firing the guy in charge. Hmmm wonder why? Sleaze pays.