
Rants and Raves of Mac McIntyre
CORRECTED: 15April1978DeKalb City Manager, Anne Maria Gaura’s contract was renewed and amended to an indefinite term with 6 months severance package. It was a 5-3 vote. Bill Finucane, Kate Noreiko, Mike Marquardt, Tony Faivre, and Jerry Smith voted yes. Dave Jacobson, Mike Verbic, and Pat Fagan voted no. The city’s budget was postponed until a Monday. December 4 special meeting of the council.
The reasons to not renew Gaura’s contract were well illustrated throughout the marathon meeting.
The DeKalb County Board now has direct experience with the frustration residents and business owners have long had with staff led agendas and ordinances pushed through the council without proper notification or discussion with the stakeholders the agenda will impact. Time and time again.
The council voted to approve first reading of a resolution to negate an intergovernmental agreement first signed in 1993 as part of an annexation agreement with the County on the County Farm Property which includes the Target Shopping Center, the Walmart Shopping Center, Best Buy, Lowes and a large residential subdivision.
County Board Administrator Gary Hansen asked the council to slow down on the proposal until all the facts and history could be known. But Gaura told the council that the proposal was really based on a recommendation of the Finance Advisory Committee since staff had instructed the FAC to plugin the revenues captured (around $285,000 per year) from ending the agreement with the County into their budget recommendations.
Let that sink in.
Either the council approves the recommendation or more cuts need to be made because the revenue was already included in the budget before they even voted on it.
Look for a legal fight. The County passed their budget a couple of weeks ago. They too budgeted the revenue. A meeting is scheduled for Gaura, Smith, Hanson and County Board Chair Mark Pietrowski. City Attorney Dean Frieders said the council should consider the recommendation from the point that by ending the agreement an escalator or balloon payment would be enacted and since the City had essentially repaid a 1999 loan transfer the County assumed on the Peace Road interchange on I-88 in his legal opinion the Home Rule City could legally end a 40-year intergovernmental agreement on that basis.
Alderman Jacobson was the only vote against passing it on first reading. Finucane objected to it even being on the agenda upon hearing Hanson’s position. As did Verbic who also took exception to it is already in the budget as proposed by staff before the council had discussed it publicly. But they voted along with Faivre, Noreiko, Fagan, Marquardt and Smith for first reading.
A second reading will likely be the next regular meeting (Dec 11) since the budget was also postponed but must be passed in December.
Council made it very plain as did the Mayor at the Nov 21 meeting that they wanted as an option a budget proposal that reflected no increases in the Home Rule Tax or property tax levy. New Finance Director Molly Talkington explained she didn’t get that option included in the agenda packet on time. She later defined the budget proposal as balanced to the policies expressed by the council.
That “balanced to their policies” budget proposal included, according to Jacobson, what amounted to a nine-percent increase in the property tax levy, and a one-cent increase on the Home Rule tax.
Gaura agreed with Talkington and spoke about how well and fiscally conservative she has done with the City’s finance.
Jacobson responded that if the City ever released minutes and removed redactions from a report from an outside financial consultant (EPI) that council discussed in executive session the public would know the truth about how bad the City’s finances really are. He said that unless significant staff cuts were made the City could wipe out its reserve fund in as few as two years.
The Council voted 7-1 to postpone the vote for first reading until Monday Dec 4.
Dean Frieders made the presentation to renew and amend Gaura’s contract. Several residents spoke in opposition to the proposal. The council remained mum. No one spoke in favor of renewing her contract. Gaura did not address the council on the matter.
With no discussion from the council, Mayor Smith called for the vote. Pat Fagan was first on the roll call, voting no. Kate Noreiko voted yes. Mike Verbic voted no. Tony Faivre voted yes. Dave Jacobson voted no. Bill Finucane voted yes. Mike Marquardt voted yes. Mayor Smith cast the deciding vote which was yes. Had he voted no the measure would have failed on a 4-4 vote.
County Farm History:
County Board Minutes Sept 24, 1908 meeting with “County Poor Farm Report”
24Sept1908A brief history of the County Poor Farm
City of DeKalb and DeKalb County discuss County Farm Annexation
15April1978City of DeKalb approves 40-year Annexation Agreement with Sale Tax Sharing Agreement
12_Oct_1993
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6 Comments


Trying to read between the lines here. So, at any time she can be terminated or she can leave of her own free will and will get severance pay? Could it be that she is planning on doing this voluntary? I have my fingers crossed.

OMG read this people. The incompetence and flat out balziness of DeKalb’s City Council is amazing. They end a 25 year agreement with the County without discussing it with them? And this promotes intergovernmental relations how?? And Jerry, Jerry… an indefinite term for the City Manager that everyone is already frustrated with? I can’t even….

More property tax hikes? Soon nobody will be able to afford to live here anymore. Question….when will the new schools be paid for? When that happens will our property taxes go back down?

50+ years from the discussion and plan I’ve heard… we haven’t started to pay for it yet… we have been paying interest only since it was built. From my understanding, we don’t start paying principal til 2021 or 22 if I remember correctly… last I heard, in order to avoid the massive tax hike it will take to do so, they plan on refinancing out for 50 years to “level” the increase to around 15% a year (this is all from memory from about 5 years ago, which may not be 100% accurate)

Sickening! I am saddened by the fact that the city council did not debate this in open session whatsoever. I suggested changing the language in reference to the indefinite contract, but was greeted by the sound of crickets. Every time a contract comes up like this, council is afraid to make remarks, because the are all fearful of getting sued. Jerry Smith disappointed me and let our community down . Mike Verbic David Jacobson
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It should be clear Ms Gaura’s job performance is far from stellar. Not one member of the public spoke in favor of retaining Ms Gaura. I spoke with Mayor Smith today about his ill-advised vote. I asked him outright “Do you believe our city manager is doing excellent work?” He said NO. Had the mayor voted his conscious, the vote would have ended in a 4-4 tie, meaning the contract would not have been renewed. Ms Gaura has lost the confidence of all the new Aldermen on the council. It is those of the old guard, with the exception of Jacobson, that have not seen the light and continue to bury their heads in the sand (Bill Finucane, Michael Marquardt, Tony Faivre, and Kate Norieko). Jerry Smith made a very strategic mistake and will now have to live with a city manager who refuses to make structural changes to the city departments to get our financial house in order. Expect more city hiring, city spending, higher property and sales taxes, and a loss of new businesses. Jerry needs to wake up!