Previously…
- No one ran for an open Council seat in November 2024
- Council member Browning to resign, she’s moving out of Beulah
What Happened?
On Tuesday February 11th, the Beulah Village Council adopted an ordinance to reduce the number of trustees on the Council from six down to four. This not only reduces the input that Beulah residents have on the way that they’re governed, it reduces the Beulah Village Council quorum size to three.
This means that only two council members may discuss policy and change to the way Beulah is governed without calling for an (expensive) public hearing. And that only three votes on a five member Council are needed to pass a resolution or ordinance.
And Why?
Why is the Beulah Village Council trying to reduce its size?
- Not because of money. Council trustees are paid $2,000 per year.
- Why would a Council concerned about being overworked want to reduce its size?
- A spirited discussion was heard at the February ’25 council meeting on how overworked the Council is and how much of a hardship it is for Council members NOT to have a Village Manager.
- There was little to no discussion at this meeting on how or how much to pay a Village Manager.
- At this Council meeting, the Beulah Council President was heard to remark that reducing the Council size was part of ‘The Plan’.
- This plan has not, as yet, been presented in a Public Hearing
- Council is currently working with the Beulah Village attorney to remake the way the Village of Beulah is governed.
- Front office Clerk and Treasurer are no longer elected, but serve as at will employees
- A Village Manager to liaise between the front office and the village maintenance staff and to manage the village’s Sewer System remediation effort is being seriously considered.
But Reduce the Beulah Village Council Size ???
What does that have to do with:
- Making the Village Clerk and Treasurer at-will employees?
- Or hiring a Village Manager?
- Or reducing hours worked by Council Trustees
- Or improving Beulah Village outreach to fill the two currently vacant Council seats?
- Full text of Ordinance 2025-001 here. First notice of intent to pass this ordinance was published on December 25th, 2024