The baton has been passed

It's official. Buffalo Grove has a new Village Manager.

Dane Bragg (pictured below), currently City Manager of Galesburg, Illinois, takes over the reigns as Buffalo Grove's top administrator.

According to the village's official release, Bragg will be introduced at the July 12 Board meeting and is expected to start on the job Sept. 7.

So let's all admit it, the most pressing question on everyone's mind is how will he get along, handle, and cope with Trustee Lisa Stone.

Wrong question. Using every cheesy cliche around, it's a new era, a new beginning, a new tradition for the Board (all of those cliches by the way have been used in connection with the Chicago Cubs, so let's hope the village fares better.)

If anyone sees the appointment of village administrator -- in any department -- as an opportunity for personal gain or advantage, then they should not be serving the village.

Issues that may have been connected in some way, shape or form to Bill Brimm, or even his predecessor, Bill Balling, are history. (Has anyone noticed that Bragg is the third consecutive Village Manager whose name begins with "B"?)

It's important that the Board not try to persuade him that a specific point is right or there's a problem because it's their own special interest.

Bragg's background includes a three-year stint as City Manager in Galesburg (home of the Silverstreaks) and assistant CM in Decatur where he was also in charge of Economic and Urban Development.

The release from the village cites the difference in the size of population. It's not the size of the town that makes the person, it's the quality of the person.

Apparently the Board has come to some sort of agreement (we can only hope) on Bragg's appointment.

The key thing now is to let him do his job. This will take the patience of everyone. We've heard a lot about learning curves -- and coming from Galesburg, Bragg will have a learning curve. He appears to have the background -- so let him do his job. Don't camp out in his office for hours on end, don't challenge him in the media or in public and don't call him at home at all hours.

The decision has been made and the Board needs to stand pat behind its decision.

With all that has been going on in the council chambers, the last thing you want is for Village Hall to be known as is Fort Bragg.