Shorewood's New Administrator Not Everybody's Choice

Apparently not everybody's a fan of new village administrator.

The village board approved the hiring of Jeff Fiegenschuh to effectively run things for Shorewood, but Trustee Steve Brockman voted against the move.

Following the Tuesday night meeting where Fiegenschuh was officially made administrator, Brockman declined to comment on his reasons for voting against the move.

The other five trustees went along with Mayor Rick Chapman's recommendation to hire Fiegenschuh, who has been Princeton's village manager for the last five years. Trustee Celine Schwartz, who has been stricken with a foot problem, failed to make the meeting in person, as she has nearly all year. Schwartz cast her vote through a speakerphone connection.

Fiegenschuh had already signed his employment contract, Chapman said, but the board still had to approve his hiring.

"This is one of the most important, if not the most important, decisions we can make as a board," Trustee Gary Fitzgerald said before the matter was put to a vote. Fitzgerald pointed out the the village administrator makes Shorewood's "day-to-day decisions" and does the "hiring and firing."

Fiegenschuh replaces former village Administrator Kurt Carroll, who bolted for New Lenox and the reported $153,000 they are paying him there. Chapman said Fiegenschuh will be paid $112,000 a year.

Fiegenschuh was selected from a pool of 100 applicants compiled by the Deerfield firm Vorhees Associates LLC.

He and five other finalists were brought in for a round of interviews with the mayor and trustees during a weekend last month.

Fiegenschuh is set to start working Nov. 14.