Intro to How Our Municipal Corporation Works, Part III
WEEKLY REPORT BY MAYOR JOHN L. MADDEN
AN INTRODUCTION TO HOW OUR MUNCIPAL CORPORATION WORKS, PART III
This is the third report on a series of reports on how our local form of government works and some of our key municipal employees.
To recap, our borough is an incorporated municipality which operates similarly to any large, public corporation. You, the residents, are our shareholders. The Council is the Board of Directors who meet from time to time to vote on various topics that involve policy, budget, and revenue. As Mayor, I act as Chairman of the Board, run the meetings and am the figurehead of the Board. Our Municipal Clerk, Linda Chismar, by state statute, serves as Secretary to the Corporation. As Clerk, she is also the Chief Administrative Officer of all elections held in the Borough, the Chief Registrar of Voters in the Borough, Secretary to the Governing Body, and is also the Administrative Officer.
As any major corporation, ours has a Chief Executive/Chief Operating Officer, the Borough Business Administrator. Our CEO/COO is Marcia Karrow. State law provides the ability for municipal corporations to have Business Administrators to take care of the day-to-day operations of their local governments and other duties as outlined in both state statute and an enabling ordinance. She reports directly to the Mayor as Chairman of the Board, but takes on projects as directed by Council – the Board of Directors. Our Business Administrator runs the daily operation of the Borough including all personnel matters. She is in charge of all facilities and has the fiscal responsibility to ensure that our government is running efficiently and effectively. By the language of our ordinance, our Business Administrator constructs our annual budget, manages and directs all personnel and provides an annual report to the Mayor and Council. She is responsible to ensure that all complaints from our constituents are answered. She is also responsible for our insurance and as such, serves as Commissioner to our Joint Insurance Fund on behalf of the governing body. It is important for our residents to understand that the role of the Business Administrator, by state law, is to run the operation of our local government and that the Mayor and Council provide oversight.
Next week, in Part IV of this series, I will be discussing the very important role of the Chief Fiscal Officer.
VICTOR CROWELL PARK UPDATE
As some of you are aware, all of our aerators failed a few weeks ago, leaving our beautiful reservoir stagnant. Help is on the way! Four new aerators and a bubbler system were spec’d out, bid and ordered for the green bridge area. We are hoping for installation soon which will make the water healthy again and are so aesthetically pleasing to see and hear for our residents who love to walk or relax at the park. Meanwhile, did you know that this small reservoir which is commonly known as the “Duck Pond” is actually named “Lake Creighton”? I have been asking around to see if anyone knows the history of the naming of this lake, and for whom it was named. If you do, please let me know!
Keep Safe and Be Well,
Mayor John L. Madden