By KATIE VIAN | Norwalk
I am writing in response to Mr. Butch Johnson’s letter in last week’s paper regarding Norwalk’s caucus.
I have been attending most of the village board meetings, just like the Johnsons. I patronize the businesses in town while listening to the complaints and gossip that goes on in any small town. Just because the village employees have friends and family members on the board, to my knowledge, not one of them has benefited. If a family members is ELECTED to the board, they need to refrain from voting on circumstances that would affect the village employee they are related to.
With that being said, Alex Karis has already served a two-year term as a board member, and it is public knowledge that his mother has not received any special privileges. If anything, it may have hindered her some.
As far as village employees being involved in village matters, shouldn’t they be? The sewer and water operations, along with maintenance, is their job.
We as taxpayers need to know that the village is being faced with a very expensive project this year on whether or not to build a new sewer plant to keep up with the DNR’s new phosphorus regulations. This could cost the village $2 million that we do not have.
Mike Wiedl was the village president for many years; he was and still is well informed on operations regarding the sewer plant, and he has ideas to make improvements to what we have so we as taxpayers hopefully won’t have to deal with an outrageous sewer increase.
So, as Butch said, when you vote in April, vote for who knows what is going on in our village. As for the candidates on the ballot who have family members who are employed by the village, please remember that this is a small town and this isn’t the first time family members have been on the board. Look back over the years and tell me how well employees have fared with family members ELECTED to the board.