Update: Former Police Chief Appointed Mount Pleasant Administrator

**Updated 6:35 p.m.

The village board Wednesday appointed former Racine Police Chief Kurt Wahlen as its administrator.

The final vote was 4-2 with one abstention from Trustee Gary Feest. Trustees Jerry Garski and Don Schulz voted "no."

Schulz explained his vote came predominantly from his issues with Village President Mark Gleason not disclosing Whalen's name to the rest of the board in the days leading up to the meeting.

Wahlen will be paid an annual salary of $80,000, and his only benefits will include 24 days of sick time and four weeks of vacation. Under the terms of his two-year contract - with a one year review - Wahlen will not have contributions made into his retirement account and he will not receive health insurance under Mount Pleasant's employee package.

His first official date is May 13. Interim Administrator Tim Zarzecki will be hands-on for the first few months of Wahlen's tenure, at least until after the annual budget process wraps up this fall.

To listen to an audio recording of the board meeting, click here for Rees Roberts' blog.

Trustees met in closed session Wednesday for over two hours to interview a village administrator candidate who was unknown to board members except Gleason.

Before the board voted 4-3 to go into closed session, Feest questioned Gleason about what Feest termed "executive authority he doesn't have."

Gleason and Trustees David DeGroot, Sonny Havn, and John Hewitt voted "yes" while Feest, Garski and Schulz voted "no." Feest was the only trustee, though, to stay behind when the rest of the board went into the closed session.

At the heart of Feest's argument was that Gleason called the meeting, developed the agenda and knew the candidate at the center of the "Village Administrator Interviews" as listed on the agenda, but didn't share any of that information with trustees.

"The law says I can schedule this interview," Gleason said. "This is a lawful meeting."

Schulz also spoke up, saying trustees shouldn't just have to show up to the meeting to discover the candidate. He also asked how many applicants there were, but Gleason brushed his concerns aside.

"Many of our applicants do not wish to be revealed at that particular time and we respect that," Gleason answered. "How many applicants is a matter for the closed session."

Feest objected vehemently, though, saying how many applicants submitted materials for consideration can be addressed in open session even if the names aren't discussed.

Schulz spoke up one last time before the vote was taken to go into closed session. The board should have information about the candidate so they know what to ask, he added, but Gleason said trustees would get those parameters in the meeting.

After the meeting, Wahlen said he was looking forward to working with department heads to create a "well-oiled machine." He said his experience managing a 260-person department with a $28 million budget will aid him in leading the village.