Braidwood City Council

Vehrs administration says final good-bye

Published by admin on Thu, 05/02/2019 - 10:35am

The Braidwood City Council went through the motions one more time under Mayor Jim Vehrs, making a handful of approvals before officially handing over the reins to the new administration.

More than 50 people packed into the council chamber on April 23 to watch with turnover from the Vehrs administration to new Mayor Bob Jones. Those who came represented a mixed bag of thoughts and feelings about the past four years, and the direction the city took under Vehrs.

New City Council sworn in

Published by admin on Thu, 05/02/2019 - 10:33am

The road ahead is bound to be filled with speed bumps and a few unexpected detours. But, Braidwood businessman Bob Jones has now officially taken his seat in the mayor’s chair.

On April 23, Jones, along with Commissioners Wayne Saltzman, Doug Money, Charlie Hart, and Fay Smith, were all sworn in as members of the City Council.

The new council took no action on its first day on the job, but took a moment to thank residents for their votes and to promise some changes ahead.

Vehrs ready for the next chapter

Published by admin on Tue, 04/23/2019 - 5:17pm

Mayor Jim Vehrs doesn’t hide from his mistakes.

Earlier this month Vehrs joined the ranks of countless other mayors from the city of Braidwood, ending his administration after just one term and a hotly contested election.

The “tradition” so to speak of the city voters cleaning house and welcoming a new administration every four years has made it difficult for elected officials to instill plans and programs that they hope will change the city in the long haul.

Vehrs ready for the next chapter

Published by admin on Tue, 04/23/2019 - 5:17pm

Mayor Jim Vehrs doesn’t hide from his mistakes.

Earlier this month Vehrs joined the ranks of countless other mayors from the city of Braidwood, ending his administration after just one term and a hotly contested election.

The “tradition” so to speak of the city voters cleaning house and welcoming a new administration every four years has made it difficult for elected officials to instill plans and programs that they hope will change the city in the long haul.

New council, new budget

Published by admin on Tue, 04/23/2019 - 5:14pm

A new City Council was seated in the city of Braidwood on Tuesday, April 23, with four of the five members brand new this term.

Mayor Bob Jones, and Commissioners Fay Smith, Wayne Saltzman, Charlie Hart, and Doug Money will have a lot of work ahead of them as they jump into their new posts.

Former Mayor Jim Vehrs and his administration made a final move on the budget on Tuesday — holding a public hearing for a tentative budget for the fiscal year that starts on May 1 and ends on April 30, 2020 (FY20).

Vehrs offers assistance to new council

Published by admin on Tue, 04/16/2019 - 6:27pm

Braidwood’s outgoing mayor has offered an olive branch to the new administration, letting the incoming mayor and commissioners know that he’s available to help out with a smooth transition.

On April 9, during a regular meeting of the City Council, Vehrs gave a nod to the mayor — and commissioners-elect who won office on April 2.

Jones the winner in five-way race

Published by admin on Tue, 04/16/2019 - 6:25pm

For months, residents of the city of Braidwood endured political bickering and back and forth, with accusations of money misspent and promises to do better.

On election day, voters in the city turned out in numbers stronger than the majority of Will County, and picked four of five new representatives for City Council.

The unofficial results of the April 2 race show Bob Jones, owner of Joneseez and a one-time Water Commissioner for the city, winning the five-way mayoral race by a margin of 38 votes.

New council will face mounting debt, deficit crisis

Published by admin on Tue, 04/02/2019 - 6:44pm

A five-way mayoral bout was just one of several strongly contested positions this election. All five of Braidwood’s commissions were up for grabs, and each candidate held strong positions and campaigned heavily throughout the city over the past few months.

But no matter who comes out on top after this week’s election results are certified, the new council will have one shared task – tackling the city’s monstrous debt.

Heated exchanges dominate City Council meeting

Published by admin on Thu, 03/28/2019 - 1:31pm

In the week prior to a highly contested municipal election, the council chamber at Braidwood's City Hall played host to a fiery exchange of words between the public, public officials and political hopefuls.

On Tuesday, March 26, the council met for its regular monthly meeting. Outside of the regular payment of bills, the council conducted virtually no business, rolling through the agenda with limited comment. However, when the meeting opened for public comment, sparks began to fly, as five separate commenters stood to exchange accusations and demands for action.

City, Fire District enter inspection agreement

Published by admin on Tue, 03/26/2019 - 6:14pm

The city of Braidwood and the Braidwood Fire Protection District have partnered up in order to conduct fire safety inspections.

On March 12, city officials announced an intergovernmental agreement (IGA) with the fire district to provide inspections to make sure new developments are up to date with the fire code.