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Freeport Group Backs Referendum On Changing City's Government

Committee to Change City Government

A group in Freeport is backing a measure that would place a city manager in charge of the city’s administration.  

Small business owner Pat Leitzen Frye is a former city council member and one-time mayoral candidate. She co-chairs the Committee to Change City Government. Fye says the push for the measure isn’t about particular personalities or policies, but helping the city to work better for everyone.

“Currently, the mayor and city council don’t have the time to provide the visionary leadership and the political leadership that they need to do,” she says. "They don’t have time for strategic planning and set goals for the future. Therefore, they’re always working on putting out fires, as opposed to preventing them."

Fye says other government organizations are run by a qualified executive, and a $40 million operation like the city should be.

“The school district, for instance, or the park district, or the county board even, they hire professionals,” she says. "You wouldn’t expect an elected person to manage the school district. It just wouldn’t be done.  So we think Freeport deserves that as well."

Similar measures failed to pass in 2008, 2010 and 2012; but Fye says that’s no reason not to try again.

Opponents say there’s not a clear need to switch to a full-time city manager as executive. They say, if anything, it will simply add another layer of government, increasing costs and reducing accountability to the voters.  They say the city could instead hire a professional city administrator for daily operations while keeping the present system of governance.  

Guy Stephens produces news stories for the station, and coordinates our online events calendar, PSAs and Arts Calendar announcements. In each of these ways, Guy helps keep our listening community informed about what's going on, whether on a national or local level. Guy's degrees are in music, and he spent a number of years as a classical host on WNIU. In fact, after nearly 20 years with Northern Public Radio, the best description of his job may be "other duties as required."
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