Peotone Village Administrator’s Contract Extended in Split 4-2 Vote

The Peotone Village Board approved a contract extension for Village Administrator Nick Palmer in a 4-2 vote Monday night, a decision that followed a closed-door executive session and revealed a rare division among trustees on a key personnel matter.

The board voted to approve resolution 25-R13, extending Palmer’s contract, with Trustees Todd Sandberg and Nick Strba casting the dissenting votes. The motion was passed with “yes” votes from Trustees Pat Bowden, Gary Hudson, Jackie Richards, and Julie Sluis.

The vote came after the board returned from an executive session convened for “the appointment, employment, compensation, discipline, performance or dismissal of a specific employee.” No discussion was held in open session regarding the reasons for the split vote.

The divided decision on the administrator’s contract stood in contrast to another personnel matter handled earlier in the meeting. The board voted unanimously, 6-0, to approve a new employee lease agreement with MGT Impact Solutions, LLC for the village’s contracted Finance Director/Treasurer, Annmarie Mampe.

Village Administrator Palmer recommended the extension for Mampe, whose new contract runs from August 4, 2025, to April 4, 2026. He praised her as a “highly qualified financial professional” and highlighted her department’s success in securing the Distinguished Budget Presentation Award from the Government Finance Officers Association (GFOA) for the fourth consecutive year.

“The proof is in us getting recognized with our budget and our audits being clean,” Palmer said.

The new agreement for the finance director services increases the hourly rate from $130.50 to $134.85. Palmer noted the arrangement is cost-effective for the village, as the hourly rate is inclusive of all benefits and insurance. He also pointed to a decrease in total cost for the service, from approximately $74,000 in fiscal year 2024 to $65,000 in fiscal year 2025, crediting a smoother process and the support of finance analyst Diane Nielsen.

“We wouldn’t get somebody of her caliber at a rate we would want to pay probably for a full-time employee,” Palmer said of Mampe. “So, we’re getting the work done and it’s done by a high qualified professional.”