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West Dundee board creates communications and special events analyst position after debate
Summary
The Village of West Dundee voted 5–1 on July 6 to create a communications and special events management analyst position to centralize public information, social media, and event coordination; trustees debated scope, recruitment method and cost before approving the new role effective July 6, 2026.
The Village of West Dundee on July 6 approved creation of a communications and special events management analyst position intended to centralize the village’s public information, social media and event coordination efforts.
Board members and staff said the position will combine public information duties, special-event management and management-analyst tasks to support departments, downtown business outreach and major projects such as the mall redevelopment. President Nelson said the board had discussed the role repeatedly and wanted to prioritize communications as the village’s activities grow.
Supporters argued the role will streamline messaging across departments and reduce confusion on social platforms during incidents. “This is an extremely important position, that we can’t do any longer without,” said a trustee who advocated for the hire, emphasizing the need to provide a single authoritative voice for village communications during emergencies and major projects.
Opponents cautioned about the job’s breadth and cost. Several trustees asked whether the public-information officer (PIO) duties and the management-analyst responsibilities could be split into separate positions over time, and questioned the likely salary range. Staff said the position was not included in the current budget and would create an unbudgeted fiscal impact for the remainder of the year; the board discussed recruiting through municipal channels and professional sites rather than a national executive search.
A trustee offered the motion to create the position effective July 6, 2026, which the board approved by roll-call vote 5–1. The motion directed staff to conduct an external, staff-supported recruitment process for qualified candidates and to return with budgetary details as needed.
The village president said the position is meant to be a phase 1 step; if workload warrants in the future, the board may consider splitting communications and analyst duties or expanding the staffing model. Recruitment and job posting details are expected to be published by staff and reviewed by the board in follow-up meetings.
