Kisner has an MBA from the University of Michigan, experience in the corporate world, and he’s a CPA who shares Hileman’s commitment to accounting and planning methods used by the private sector.
“Our business models were 20 years out of date,” Hileman says of his early days in Glenview. “We could not maintain the level of staffing that we had. It was quickly becoming clear that our fund balance was in danger.”
Hileman warned village staffers that they would have to make changes. “It was the first time people were hearing this. They didn’t understand what I was doing. It was a shock to the system. I don’t believe in sugar coating these things,” he says.
Since then, Hileman has been trying to change the culture at Village Hall and overhaul business practices. That may have been a factor in the decision by former finance director Dan Wiersma to leave. “A lot of people are uncomfortable,” Hileman says.
More likely, he adds, experienced managers, like Wiersma and Public Works Director Bill Porter, opted to take early retirement, because it was to their financial advantage. Fully vested, Hileman says, they are “young enough to go out and get another job or consult” while collecting a village pension.
The Glenview Watch 
“A lot of people are uncomfortable” That’ an understatement! When will the residents wake up to what is being done at the Village.
If it wasn’t for this fine web site we’d know less about the shenanigans going on at the village than we do now. The local newspaper does nothing much to inform us of the issues we should know about. They like filling their pages with pictures of our officials at banquets, standing next to someone from Lake Forest with a drink in their hand laughing it up and feeling important.
I couldn’t agree more with the previous comment . I find it incredible that this information is never published in the announcements or other local papers. Kudos to the Glenview Watch.
In response to earlier comments, the pickings when it comes to municipal finance directors are quite slim according to Village Manager Hileman. He says seven other communities in Northern Illinois were also looking for CFO’s when Glenview began its search.
Good village managers are also said to be in short supply, but for those intent on replacing Todd Hileman, you need to talk with your trustees. The manager is not elected. He’s an employee hired by the village board.
In response to the above: And the board is elected by citizens. That’s the point. Short of a march on Village Hall with torches and pitchforks, we’ll be stuck with decisions like this unless we go to the polls.
I don’t mean to be uninformed, but I thought that Glenview was union free until the arrival of Todd Hileman? Perhaps I am just not understanding that he has improved the operation of the town with his innovative (cough) approach. I would still like to see a cost comparison for his *consultants* and *reorganization* with the personally chosen few. Glenview was a nice place to live pre-Hileman. Now………
Guess again “Glenview Residents” Managers did NOT opt out for early retirement. Let’s call Mr. Hileman the “Spin Doctor”.