History of the Last Two Years

 1. New commissions with motivated taxpayers are trying to create the change and policies that are so desperately needed in the Village.

2. Board meetings now actually have an audience and more taxpayers are being informed about what their government is doing.

3. A new Administrator (Cassandra Hiller) was hired and assumed her position on December 1, 2023. The Village Board at the time went in a different direction than what the taxpaying committee recommended. However, it appears the board made a good decision.   The new Administrator has made sweeping changes in the village and helped create solutions to problems that existed. She is a very motivated and competent administrator. Over the next year, we hope she will show what she can address and provide solutions to significant problems in the village that need to be rectified. 

4. New Salem Lakes Fire Chief Al Carr was sworn in as well. He is a competent leader who has made some phenomenal changes and put the fire department on a more fiscally responsible track.

5. A new fire commission has been a rather welcome change. It has led to many of the new initiatives that are taking place in the fire department. The department now has to deal with a lot less controversy and has a clear and sustainable path moving forward. 

6. Numerous new employees have been hired and many employees of the past have resigned or retired. The substantial and fundamental changes that the new administration has brought forth proved to be difficult for some of the past employees to embrace. This has led to some changes in personnel. 

7. The village has hired a new clerk, Sara Spencer, and she has made sweeping changes in making village affairs more transparent. She has been a welcome addition to the staff of the village.

8. The village has also hired a very capable Attorney, Remzy Bitar.  He has made sweeping changes that have protected the village from potential liabilities. In the past, the village was constantly under threat due to some improper behavior/procedures.

9.The village has hired a new law firm, represented by attorney Todd Terry, to handle our municipal court. This was done when some concerns were raised. The board acted and made the changes necessary to keep our municipal court standards at the highest level. 

10. The board Passed a new property maintenance policy. This policy has been long overdue. The policy has effectively stopped selective enforcement.  This could not have been done without President Bucur and Pete Poli creating the policy. The support of Bill Barhyte and Jared Young was also essential for getting the policy passed. Trustees Faber, Hopkins, and Gant rightfully questioned some of the directives of the policy, but ultimately they too embraced the decision with a unanimous vote.

11. The village has also welcomed Tia Smith to be our deputy clerk and administrative assistant. She is always very welcoming to all who enter the village for help. Tia has been a wonderful addition to our village.

12. The Village has also been very lucky to have retained Kristin Stone, another great employee of the village, who has acted in many areas to help the village with the transition it is going through.  Kristin serves in many departments such as the Salem Lakes Utilities, Public Works, Parks, Planning and Zoning Commission, and the Board of Review.

13. The village has hired, Andrew Kreye, as our new deputy director of public works. We look forward to his expertise in guiding that department.

14. Brad Zautche has been running our public works department as the director and he is assisting the planning and zoning department.  Brad had been a valued employee of Salem Lakes for decades.

15. The Economic Development Committee (EDC)

 Another huge accomplishment of President Rita Bucur has been the creation of the Economic Development Committee with Jeff Albrecht. This committee has been long overdue for the community.  The public is invited to submit feedback on March 15 from 9 a.m.- 4 pm.  It is important that you either express your thoughts or email a survey to the village on their website orcontactg the various EDC members individually through their village email.

Click this link to be directed to the village Economic Development Committee’s webpage.

(The link has all of the members and their emails listed as well as the survey noted above)

The broad goal of this committee is to offer help with development within the village. The committee's goal is to offer assistance to make residential projects and future commercial projects as hassle-free as possible. Unfortunately, municipalities can stifle development if too much bureaucratic red tape is in place. The committee's ultimate goal is to find ways to foster development so that Salem Lakes can raise the tax levy without financially burdening our residents due to increasing government expenditures brought upon, in large part, by inflation.

16. Dennis Faber is continuing his leadership in the protection of our Lakes. This is not a change, but we must promote Dennis’s leadership because he is a great steward of our environment.

17. Pete Poli's involvement in our sewer systems has saved the village several million dollars. Pete has also helped craft new policies such as our new maintenance policy as noted above. He is also a member of the EDC. He also continues to be one of the most effective board members questioning the administration of the village.  

18. Bill Barhyte's leadership in assisting in the fire department and the internal investigation led to changes in leadership and commission structure within the fire department. Bill has also been a budget hawk questioning increases in government expenditures.

19. Jared Young has been a huge advocate for citizens with issues about government affairs within the village. He has offered his time and expertise in solving these issues.

20. Bill Hopkins has recently accepted the job as public safety czar. He will be looking at issues regarding village law enforcement and fire protection.

21. Ron Gandt has accepted the position of liaison for the Silver Lake Management District.

22. The village brought back Community Days in August of 2024.

23. The pickleball court has been a great addition to the village and also the frisbee golf course. 

24. The continued involvement of the Silver Lake Happenings offers many wonderful community events with music, car shows, and Christmas parades.

Lastly, we do not want to forget anyone who is working for the village. Everyone is important and assists in the everyday operations of serving the taxpayers. Below is a flow chart of everyone who is working for the village.