La Grange Finance Post Uncertain

LA GRANGE, IL – La Grange is filling one of the positions in its finance department, but officials did not say what would happen to the top post.

At Monday's Village Board meeting, Village Manager Jack Knight said a new accounting manager will start next week. That position went vacant in August.

He did not say whether the village would fill the finance director's position, which has been open since May. (The name of the last director, Suzy Mika, still appears on the village's website.)

On its website, the village has a posting for the accounting manager's job, but not finance director.

In a September email to Patch, Knight said plans for filling the finance director's position were still under consideration. Patch left another message with him Tuesday. He responded in an email the next day, "The position is currently staffed through an agreement with a staffing agency, MGT. As a part-time assignment, the balance of the responsibilities are supported by a variety of staff. This arrangement has been in place since June."

When the company was hired, Knight said in a memo to the board that it would be a "temporary staffing solution."

At the meeting, resident Alan Foreman, who asked about the status of the finance jobs, said financial openness is a must-have.

"This board has the ability to make financial transparency a little bit more of a priority," he said.

Village President Mark Kuchler said openness was important.

"We do strive for transparency, and we do hope as we get the personnel in place, that will continue to improve," he said.