by Kathy Savolt -
About an hour into a recent conversation with The Mamaroneck Observer, Kathleen Gill, the new Village Manager, exclaimed, “I love a challenge!” And it’s a good thing she does.
Gill, who began work on December 9, has an admittedly long list of challenges to tackle. When asked what her first priorities are, Gill was very clear that she needed to hire an Assistant Village Manager and said she was already viewing applicant resumes. From a staffing perspective, she mentioned the Building Inspector next and remarked on the recent history of the department by saying that “it is unacceptable to wait months for a building permit.” At the 12/9 Board of Trustees (BOT) meeting, Gill announced she is moving forward with staffing the Building Department and expects changes mid-January.
At the same time, Gill will be working with the BOT and department heads to set priorities and establish a multi-faceted work plan for 2025. Gill has successfully used this tool before and plans to make it public and also give updates on progress every three months. At her previous positions in New Rochelle, Gill presented progress reports at public meetings and also frequently visited neighborhood association meetings explaining that “you have to go to where the people are.” Gill expects to do the same here in Mamaroneck.
Gill also said she was aware of some of the techniques the former Village Manager used to balance prior operating budgets with tax increases to stay under the New York State tax cap. She vowed to thoroughly review the budget and that nothing is off the table, including possible reorganization. Gill warned that this will take time, and she would be starting next year’s budget process earlier than usual.
Gill understands that there is a lot to do, and some things can be done quickly while others will take longer. By setting clear priorities and communicating them with staff and the community, she hopes to rebuild trust in Village government. She admits she will need time to get over a “learning curve” but hopes to develop the 2025 Plan quickly and have an Assistant Manager in place by mid-January.
Gill comes to us with impressive credentials and a broad range of experience in municipal governance from her 27-year tenure in New Rochelle. She has a master’s degree in urban planning and environmental sciences and a law degree with an Environmental Certificate. Gill’s career in New Rochelle began as Assistant Corporation Counsel, including counsel to the Zoning and Planning Boards. After a brief stint away from government, Gill was rehired by New Rochelle in 2015 as Corporation Counsel and Chief of Staff - dividing her time between legal tasks and operations. Along the way, she also served as the Interim Commissioner of Development for 15 months. When the former City Manager (and Mamaroneck’s most recent Interim Manager, Chuck Strome) retired, Gill was promoted to the top role of City Manager. Her separation agreement with New Rochelle includes a non-disclosure clause and we did not discuss the matter.
During her time in New Rochelle, Gill worked extensively to address flooding issues. She developed a City-wide plan for flood mitigation that identified 170 separate projects that were used to create a ten-year Capital Plan for Flood Mitigation, separate from other City needs. Gill believes that identifying flood mitigation needs, prioritizing them and having cost estimates are important first steps in finding funding to help pay for the work.
Gill acknowledges the level of development in New Rochelle is not appropriate for the Village of Mamaroneck. She is aware of the traffic problems, and we briefly discussed school overcrowding. Gill seemed excited to learn more about current issues. She explained that the Village Manager addresses the priorities of the BOT and the community will make recommendations based on her background and experience.
Gill brings enthusiasm, years of relevant experience to the Village and ideas about transparency and managing the challenges we have in Mamaroneck. She arrives at a time when these things are much needed.
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