Commissioners learn more about proposed council-city manager government structure

Oregon citizens will vote on change in the November 2022 election

Oregon City Council members plan to put a referendum on the Nov. 8 ballot asking residents to move to a council-city manager form of government. The new structure would shift day-to-day administrative responsibilities from city commissioners to the city manager. A mayor and council commissioners still would be elected and would continue to set policy and the city's vision.

OREGON — A referendum on the Nov. 8 ballot will ask Oregon residents to approve moving to a council-city manager form of government.

The new structure would shift day-to-day administrative responsibilities from commissioners to a city manager, Mayor Ken Williams said during the city council’s April 26 meeting. Voters would continue to elect a mayor and commissioners who set policy and direct the city’s vision.

“So pretty much, it’s the same as before,” Williams said. “Transparency-wise, there’s nothing you’re going to see [change] as a citizen or much outside the city hall that will change. It just becomes easier on the admin side internally.”

If the referendum passes, City Administrator Darin DeHaan would become the city manager following the April 2023 election, Williams said. The new form of government would go into effect after the first meeting of the newly elected Oregon City Council.

“I think, first and foremost, I would serve the city in any capacity they need me to serve,” DeHaan said when asked his thoughts on the change. “I’ve seen over the last two years that this really does add efficiency to the city’s operations, so I think it’s an important decision for the citizens to contemplate.”

DeHaan was hired as city administrator on March 31, 2020, after city council members voted to create the position. Prior to that, DeHaan served as Oregon police chief for 15 years.

On Feb. 23, Oregon City Council members voted unanimously to follow an ad hoc committee’s recommendation that the city pursue the council-city manager form. Ad hoc committee members are Roger Cain, John Dickson, Rick Bunton, City Commissioner Melanie Cozzi and Otto Dick.

Williams said he formed the ad hoc committee at the request of citizens.

“Part of the reason [for the change] is that our city is growing up,” Williams said. “We have $5 million in annual budget. We have $22.8 million in assets, of which $6.5 million is in cash and the rest is in fixed assets — buildings and so forth. We have 22 employees, seven buildings, eight cars, 11 trucks, all sorts of construction equipment. We have a lot of things going on.”

Under Oregon’s current form of government, all four commissioners and the mayor are administratively responsible for the sewer and water department, city hall staff, the police department, the building inspector and the street department, Williams said.

That means the commissioner associated with a specific department could go into that department every day and tell people what to work on, and the employees would have to listen, he explained.

“That puts a lot of administrative burden on council members,” Williams said. “We don’t really always do that. We tend to get involved some, but we just don’t have the time to go in and report every morning.”

Transitioning to a council-city manager form of government is a two-step process, he said. The first step was to create a city administrator position.

That step was completed with DeHaan’s hiring, and has been well accepted by community members, Williams said.

“If you talk to the people, they’re really glad to have one person that they can talk to,” he said. “Basically, 85% of the administrative duties of the council have now been moved over to the city administrator. But to get that final 15%, the state of Illinois says it requires a referendum because you have to change the form of government officially to city manager.”

Step two is to change from a commission form of government to a council-city manager form. Doing so requires a referendum, according to state statute, and will officially move the administrative duties from commissioners to the city manager.

No staff are being added, Williams said. DeHaan’s title would change from city administrator to city manager and his job description would adjust slightly.

Alexa Zoellner

Alexa Zoellner

Alexa Zoellner reports on Lee, Ogle and Whiteside counties for Shaw Media out of the Dixon office. Previously, she worked for the Record-Eagle in Traverse City, Michigan, and the Daily Jefferson County Union in Fort Atkinson, Wisconsin.