RACINE — Mayor Cory Mason announced Friday afternoon that, after seven months, the City of Racine will soon have a new administrator.
Vornholt
“We are pleased to say today that Paul Vornholt has been named our next city administrator and the confirmation of that appointment will be on the next (City) Council agenda,” Mason said.
Due to the primary election on Tuesday, the next City Council meeting will be on Wednesday. Vornholt said he anticipates being on the job on Monday, March 1.
The city’s prior administrator, Jim Palenick, left to take a job in Ohio in July 2020. That month, Assistant Finance Director Kathleen Fischer was appointed as interim administrator. Fischer has now been promoted to finance director.
The new guy
For the past three years, Vornholt has been Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett’s chief of staff. Prior to that, he was director of the Port of Milwaukee, a position he held for six years.
Vornholt said the position of city administrator appealed to him because it brought together and focused the various elements of current and previous jobs that he enjoyed the most, such as organizational management and implementing policies of the mayor and council.
RACINE — In addition to weighing in on the next President of the United State and U.S. Representative for Wisconsin’s 1st Congressional District, Racine residents will be asked this fall whether they’d accept a 6.49% increase on the tax levy to cover the cost of healthcare benefits for city retirees.
For 2020, the city collected a total of $53,820,230 in property taxes. Because the city had zero net new construction in 2020 the most it would be able to raise its levy is 0.15% or $80,730.35.
Going into 2021, interim City Administrator Kathleen Fischer estimated the city is facing a $4.5 to $5.5 million budget shortfall. The referendum would ask taxpayers whether they are willing to contribute an additional $3.5 million to the 2021 levy and then an additional $1 million each year thereafter.
The additional funds would only cover a portion of retiree healthcare expenses. In 2020, the city will spend $21 million on healthcare for 750 retirees and 450 active employees, not including the water and wastewater utilities. The active employees accounted for about $11.5 million of that total and the retirees accounted for about $9.5 million.
McMayor Butterball should do the right thing and pay his fair share of property taxes. C'mon, Butterball, let a real estate professional reassess your property's value instead of having a crony do it. Oink, oink.
From The Journal Times.com: Christina Lieffring RACINE — Three groups of retirees from the City of Racine — 352 individuals who are retired firefighters, police officers and public-works employees — have filed claims against the city over changes made last fall to their health-care benefits. During the budget process last fall, the City Council approved changes that reduced the city’s health plan options to a single plan with a set contribution of 7.5%, calculated at $55 a month for an individual and $145 a month for a family. Retired firefighter Mike George said there’s a clause in their contract that states that whatever premium they paid when they retired is the premium they pay for life under the city’s insurance. The city can change deductibles and co-pays, but their contract stipulates that premiums cannot change. Some retirees retired when city employees were not required to pay any premiums, so they have not had to pay a premium in their retirement. “And now they’re getting hit with the premiums,” George said. The Finance and Personnel Committee on Monday discussed the claims in closed session. When it reconvened in open session, at the City Attorney’s Office’s recommendation, the committee voted unanimously to recommend that City Council disallow the claim. The next City Council meeting is scheduled for 7 p.m. on July 21. Warnings unheeded During the debate over the proposed changes last fall, the Finance and Personnel Committee with the Water and Wastewater utilities voted to break off from the city’s plan, partly because it did not want to hurt recruitment and retention, and partly because Utility General Manager Keith Haas was concerned that, based on case law, the changes to retirees’ benefits could result in litigation.
However, when the Water and Wastewater Commissions had to vote on the proposal, Commissioners Thomas Bunker and Kathleen DeMatthews were outnumbered by then-City Administrator Jim Palenick and Aldermen Natalia Taft and John Tate II. Jose Carbajal of the Racine Professional Firefighters Local 321, said the union is in open arbitration with the city, arguing the city changed its contract when it changed its health care benefits. Carbajal said the union filed for arbitration shortly after the changes were voted in last year and followed with a prohibited practice complaint filed with the state in early 2020. George said that if the council votes to disallow the claims, their next step may be taking the city to court. From: https://journaltimes.com/news/local/govt-and-politics/352-city-retirees-file-claims-over-health-care-benefits-could-lead-to-court-battle/article_32607213-0517-54bd-a9c5-1a50447eb7f8.html
Palenick began his tenure in Racine under a dark cloud of political gaffe and corrupt government, compliments of Mayor Dickert's regime and Mayor Mason.
During his short tenure as city administrator, Palenick had to endure and address Machinery Row, secret meetings, secret surveys, secret courts, secret contracts, no bid contracts, broken contracts and fraud.
WHEW !
Imagine how the City of Racine could have tainted his career ? Palenick thru it all maintained a higher standard than the ass wipes he was working with.
We believe Jim couldn't get out of Racine soon enough.
Godspeed Jim.
Now back to Shannon.
It appears that Mr. Powell has had a fairly light schedule as communications director for the city. Mayor Mason has also used him as a chauffeur and needs to find him a career position within the city. When Palenick leaves, the city may just change the Administrator title to ? and slide Powell into Palenick's old office. Problem fixed!
RACINE
— Funding for new BelleTV/CAR25 equipment and staff to run the
public access channel has been approved; now the question is when the
station will be up and running.
The
City Council on Tuesday approved up to $115,691.29 to get the channel
back up and running. The proposal that went before the Finance and
Personnel Committee on Jan. 13 was for up to $146,000, but the
committee decided to reduce it by $29,975 by deferring the purchase
of new security cameras for the City Council Chambers.
The
proposed $146,000 was reallocated from the city’s contingency fund
and budget items including additional police body camera data
storage, switch replacements for the IT Department and wireless
access points for community centers.
City
Administrator Jim Palenick said that the $29,975 for cameras for the
council chambers was reallocated back into police body camera data
storage. As of press time, the city did not have a clear timeline for
when the channel will be back on the air.
Background
When
the city signed a 23-year agreement in 1996 with Tele-Communications
Inc. (which was bought out by AT&T in 1998), it prompted
discussions about running a public access channel in Racine. At that
time, many communities in southeastern Wisconsin had public access
channels with studios where residents could produce original
programming.
The
idea was studied and debated for years until the council decided to
set aside $40,000 in the 2003 budget to start the channel. That fall,
Cable Access Racine 25, or CAR25, was launched.
In
addition to public meetings, CAR25 aired original programming from
the Racine Public Library, the Racine Rotary Post Prom and the Fourth
of July Parade. It televised memorials to 9/11 and the Laurel Clark
memorial service after her death on the Space Shuttle Columbia in
February 2003.
Originally,
the city decided to set aside 10% of franchise fees to fund the
channel. It had a studio and one to two employees who helped run it.
Former Mayor John Dickert pushed to have an outside firm run the
channel, which lasted for about a year, and then those positions were
cut.
Since
then the channel has been run by the city’s IT department. The
franchise fees, which for 2020 are estimated to be about $830,000,
are lumped in with the city’s general operations budget.
When
BelleTV/CAR25 first went dark in early December, the estimated cost
for replacement equipment alone was $30,000, which is the amount 6th
District Alderman Sandy Weidner had included in her request to get
the channel up and running again.
That
request went before the Committee of the Whole, a subcommittee of the
full City Council, which after a long discussion decided to send it
to the Finance and Personnel Committee. The decision granted city
staff more time to find answers to questions raised by aldermen and
put together a proposal that addressed concerns about the channel’s
longevity.
Several
members of the public and aldermen spoke at the Committee of the
Whole and Finance and Personnel meetings about the importance of
BelleTV/CAR25 for the public to access City Council meetings and a
hope that with the new system — and staff to operate it — it
could not only be restored but renew its previous levels of local
programming.
UPDATE on the pending elimination of Cable Access Racine / CAR 25 (aka Belle TV.) The Finance and Personnel Committee voted to recommend continued funding at last Monday's meeting.
NEXT STEP: The committee will relay their recommendation to the City Council for a final vote, which should be:
Tuesday, January 21, 2020
at 7:00pm
in room 205 at City Hall. Be there to hear discussion and ask questions.
QUICK SUMMARY:
Mason’s administration gave a lengthy breakdown of figures at the meeting, declaring that equipment replacement costs and personnel salaries would be too high. (See attached city documents, with thanks to Ald. Carrie Glenn & Johnnie Cabb.) That information was refuted by one of the audience speakers, former Chairman of the Cable Commission Board in Racine, Chase Hendrix, who had been instrumental in CAR 25’s original set up. Hendrix demonstrated that the city administrator’s figures were heavily overblown, and offered figures far below the city's cost estimates. Hendrix generously volunteered his services to get the station running again. With that information, and strong public support, the committee unanimously recommend funding.
The City Council nearly always follows committee recommendations and only heavy pressure from the Mason administration could seem to overturn that recommendation now. Mason has shown a strong disregard for public opinion and might very well apply pressure to kill CAR 25/ Belle TV, which would hinder public oversight of their own government.
CAR25 could go back on air, funds would come from contingency fund and other budgets
RACINE
— Restoration of Racine’s public-access channel is set to go to
the City Council for a vote on Tuesday, though the cost is higher
than the initial $30,000 estimate.
Last
week, the Finance and Personnel Committee voted to send to the City
Council, with a recommendation of approval, an amended proposal for
purchasing equipment and budgeting the manpower needed to get
BelleTV, also known as CAR25, back on the air.
Cost
estimate
When
BelleTV/CAR25 first went dark in early December, the estimated cost
for replacement equipment alone was $30,000, which is the amount
Alderman Sandy Weidner of the 6th District had included in her
request to get the channel up and running again.
That
request went before the Committee of the Whole, a subcommittee of the
full City Council, which after a long discussion decided to send it
to Finance and Personnel. The decision granted city staff more time
to find answers to questions raised by the aldermen and put together
a proposal that addressed concerns about the channel’s longevity.
The
budgeted amount presented at last Monday’s meeting was $145,666.29.
City Administrator Jim Palenick said the first estimate was “off
the cuff,” whereas the new estimate was based on further research
about what would be the best investment.
A
few members of the public, as well as Weidner, expressed concern that
the increased price tag for the equipment, which includes 4K
technology, was going to deter aldermen from passing the resolution.
“We
don’t need that; we just need a channel that operates,” said
Weidner.
MIS
Director Paul Ancona said that the intention was to recommend the
best equipment so it could have a prolonged lifespan.
“What
we’re looking at in terms of the equipment is going to
state-of-the-art equipment so that we’re not facing this again in a
few years,” Ancona said.
The
proposal included budgeted items that could be reallocated for CAR25:
$56,500
from the contingency fund. Assistant Finance Director Kathleen
Fischer told the committee that around $100,000 would remain in the
fund.
$30,000
budgeted for the MIS department to replace switches. Ancona stated
said his department would still be able to replace the oldest
switches, they would just put off replacing some of them until 2021.
$37,000
budgeted for additional body camera data storage.
$22,500
for wireless access points for community centers.
Palenick
emphasized that they chose line items that are “the lowest priority
of the things that made it into the budget,” and could be delayed
until 2021.
Need for
access
Generally,
members of the committee were receptive to reviving CAR25, and not
just because several members of the public and aldermen attended the
meeting to advocate for it.
“I’m
obviously in support of trying to bring the service back, and I
promise it’s not just because my grandma called me and threatened
me,” said Alderman Jason Meekma of the 14th District. “It’s a
powerful influencer nonetheless.”
Meekma
asked Ancona if the staff budgeted to operate the channel would also
be charged with enhancing the its programming, to which Ancona said
yes. One point that has been raised in the discussion has been the
decrease in programming for the channel, which used to air the Fourth
Fest parade, the Holiday Parade through Downtown and the Racine
Rotary Post Prom.
The
committee decided to remove one line item — an upgrade of Sony
cameras in the council chambers to 4K video, valued at $29,975—
after learning that the new cameras were not a necessity for the new
system and that the city had installed new cameras two years ago.
Ancona stated that that particular expense could be undertaken
further down the road.
The
estimated cost going before the City Council would be $115,691.29. As
of press time it was unknown how that change would affect the
proposed reallocation of funds from the budget.
The
next City Council meeting is scheduled for 7 p.m. Tuesday at City
Hall, 730 Washington Ave., Room 205.
Pale-dick lies for Butterball. Lying pigs run the city. Where's the $800,000 the city receives annually to run Belle TV? Did Butterball waste it hiring more swine assistants? I wonder who wipes his ass for him. Probably Pale-dick . . .
Racist emails and racist remarks continue to plague
Racine’s City Hall, coupled with shocking illegal campaign contribution
statements!
Racine-Racist emails and racist
remarks allegedly made by Racine’s Mayor John Dickert and other City Of
Racine elected officials, continue to turn the City Of Racine back 100
years and destroying the moral fabric of the community. Highlighting
unfair treatment, illegal campaign contributions and racist emails, the
truth is absolutely shocking.
"Racine- Sparking months of rumors of in-fighting, disagreements and
questionable decision making, it’s now being reported that City
Administrator Tom Friedel has abruptly resigned in the middle of the
city’s 2017 budget presentation. It’s being reported that he has sent an
email to all the Aldermen.
"A former Racine City Official commented, 'City
officials don’t just resign if there isn’t a major problem (Re: former
Mayor Gary Becker) Retirement by a civil servant is entirely normal,
however a resignation in the middle of the 2017 city budget is shocking
and abnormal, and is also abandoning the entire community.'
"Another
city resident commented, 'Tom’s legacy of corruption began with the
backroom deal with his cousin the Mayor, to get him this job without the
experience, education or qualifications necessary. He then received a
secret pay increase and more raises as he rubber stamped criminally
corrupt insider deals involving local officials and their friends.' -
City Of Racine Resident "Rumors have been
circulating that City Administrator Tom Friedel has been in opposition
to both the city arena project, and has also been closely involved in
the debacle of missing millions surrounding the mysteriously failed
Machinery Row development. Racine City Hall has also been the subject of
unfair treatment of employee’s, drug usage amongst city officials,
lawsuits and widespread total disfunction within city hall during
Friedel’s appointment. Stay tuned, more news to come."
"WHEE! City Administrator Tom Friedel and the rest of
the CIty of Racine Public Employees and Officials are IN THE MONEY – for
life – courtesy of the Tax-Payers and the unsustainable OPEB they have
been promised – 'Other Post Employment Benefits'. It’s all part of the
taxpayer provided public employee benefit wonderland where tax-free
benefit packages which cost $20,000 to $40,000 plus make up for the low
$100,000 salaries…."
"THE RACINE MAGIC SHOW, MAKING OFFICIAL COMMISSIONS AND COMMITTEES DISAPPEAR THROUGH LIES AND MANIPULATION."
"Racine Mayor John Dickert is completing his takeover of Racine’s
Community Access channel by extinguishing an entire cable commission of
eight members. After altering and influencing a city RFP bid for the
Mayor’s friends, after violating city ordinances for the past 3 years,
the city now aims to just change the laws. "On Tuesday night the Committee Of The Whole will take up the
communication of changing all the city laws protecting residents and
their rights regarding the community access tv station. "After violating the city’s own laws over the past couple years, The
City Of Racine will now attempt to just change the laws and cover up the
illegal activity that took place surrounding the City Of Racine’s
public access tv channel and alleged bid rigging and collusion. "City Administrator Tom Friedel was caught lying to the Common Council
and the community when asked about the City Cable Commission in April
of 2015 he said, 'We’ve received all but one resignation' To date the
city has received only two resignation letters leaving six active
members. Why would the city not appoint replacements? Why would the city
eliminate the residents and community at large?"
"RACINE — It’s been
three weeks since the City Council voted to extend City Administrator
Tom Friedel’s contract, giving him a $10,000 raise over two years.
"But whether he will accept their offer, and stay on in the job still remains unclear, at least for the public at large.
"With
his current contract slated to expire on Sunday, July 12, calls made to
Friedel over the last few weeks have not been returned, and other city
officials have remained mum on the issue.
"Asked about the
situation on Monday, Deputy City Attorney Scott Letteney, who oversees
the city’s human resources department, wrote in an email: 'it is not his
place to address this issue.'
"A call made to Mayor John Dickert on Tuesday regarding the situation was not returned.
"An email sent to Friedel on Monday received an automatic reply that he would be out of the office until July 13.
"City
Council President Dennis Wiser said Tuesday evening he was not aware of
Friedel’s plans and there had been no updates from Friedel or the
administration, as far as he knew.
"'I haven’t gotten anything to that effect,' he said.
"The
relative silence that has fallen upon the issue in recent weeks comes
after close to a month of contentious debate among aldermen about the
city administrator position and its salary."
WHEE! City Administrator Tom Friedel and the rest of
the CIty of Racine Public Employees and Officials are IN THE MONEY – for
life – courtesy of the Tax-Payers and the unsustainable OPEB they have
been promised – 'Other Post Employment Benefits'. It’s all part of the
taxpayer provided public employee benefit wonderland where tax-free
benefit packages which cost $20,000 to $40,000 plus make up for the low
$100,000 salaries…."
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