Andrew Croessman sworn in as new finance director

There was a quiet and sincere confidence in his voice Monday night as Andrew Croessman extended his appreciation to Mayor Guy Alongi and members of the Du Quoin city council who unanimously ratified his appointment as the city's new finance & budget director and city clerk.

City attorney Aaron Atkins administered the oath of office as his parents and family members watched and listened.

"I have the skills to do the job and hope to complement the work of the staff. My job is to be the caretaker of the city's money and I will do that," he said.

Croessman, the son of longtime educator Barbara Croessman and husband John, this longtime newspaperman, is 25 years old and just completed work on his Masters Degree in business and economics. He recently submitted his Masters Degree thesis and was advised over the weekend the body of work received an "A." Croessman has already met all of the curriculum requirements for his doctorate and will assemble his dissertation committee after settling into his work in Du Quoin.

Finance director Chuck Novak, whom Croessman holds in high regard, has agreed to work through a transition period until next spring. Mayor Guy Alongi said he doesn't want an "overlapping" of financial planning, but he does want the city to head into 2016 with a realistic financial plan that will succeed.

Novak and Croessman have already identified the city's revenue streams--many of which were overestimated in the last budget and have begun putting together realistic forecasts for the coming year and beyond.

Mayor Alongi is cautiously optimistic moving forward, but harbors a number of concerns given the information from a recent Southern Illinois mayor's meeting that motor fuel tax and sales tax payments are already being withheld. "Little by little our sources of revenue are drying up," he said.

In other action, the council authorized the conveyance of Baseball Field No. 5 at what most still know as Lions Field to Du Quoin Community Development Corp which, in turn, will deed it to Du Quoin Baseball, Inc. which owns and manages the rest of the complex.

The council gave approval to the first reading of an ordinance that renames ESDA (Emergency Services and Disaster Agency) the Du Quoin Emergency Management Agency. Mayor Alongi also noted that EMA, the police department and the fire department will in the coming months start using Fire Station No. 2 as both an emergency command and training center as well as an equipment storage center.

A new council ordinance will declare the area in front of the Grand Theater a Fire Zone with no parking at any time.

Lastly, the council voted to proceed with the condemnation of a house at 444 North West Street, which was damaged by fire last April.

One-by-one commissioners at the end of the meeting thanked the swim team and welcomed Andrew Croessman into city service. Commissioner Mike Ward extended his appreciation to all law enforcement agencies who investigated last week's failed police vehicle firebombing incident and suggested the community keep both the boys arrested for the incident and their families in our prayers as they work their way through a very difficult time.