Didier Will Stay in Mayor's Office Until Year's End

On a night in which the salary of her soon to be ex-position was the main topic of conversation, Wauwatosa Mayor Jill Didier delivered some other news she felt was worth noting: She’ll still be around as mayor for a while. 

Mayor Didier told Wauwatosa Patch that she would stay on as Wauwatosa’s elected mayor through the end of 2011, officially leaving office on Jan. 2. Upon Didier’s departure, Common Council President Eric Meaux will assume the role of interim Mayor.

“Jill Didier will remain our elected mayor until the end of 2011,” Meaux said Tuesday morning. “During this time, plans for fulfilling the duties of the mayor will be developed allowing for uninterrupted operations through the normal April 2012 mayoral election process.”

Didier said there had been much speculation and inaccurate reporting regarding her position since it was announced she would take on a newly created role as Milwaukee County economic development coordinator. Reports had Didier stepping down on Dec. 15 when she starts her new job.

“I never said I was resigning immediately or on the 15th," Didier said. "I don’t know where everyone got that from.”

Didier said she planned to preside over the Common Council meeting on Dec. 20, the last of the year and her last as mayor.

, Didier’s primary role will be to work with the 19 Milwaukee County municipalities on economic development designed to help the county and region. County Executive Chris Abele said at the press conference introducing Didier that she was considered a finalist as soon as she applied for the position.

City Attorney Alan Kesner told council members Tuesday evening that Didier’s position with the county had been reviewed and it wasn’t deemed a conflict of interest and would not leave the mayor without time to continue to perform her mayoral duties through year's end. Kesner said the city occasionally reviews the mayor’s outside interests to protect against conflicts of interest or of the mayor’s time. 

The topic came up as council members spent an hour debating the merits of a pay increase to $30,000 up from $22,500 for the incoming mayor.

The measure was . 

Didier has said that the position of mayor is one she feels requires the efforts of a full-time job, though as Ald. Peter Donegan pointed out Tuesday night, city ordinance does not specify whether it’s a full or part time position.

For his part, Meaux said it was going to be business as usual for him. 

“My role isn’t really changing,” Meaux said. “As Common Council president, I’ve always had to be ready in case the mayor was out for any period of time. So I’ll continue to be ready.”

Meaux said he will not be running for the vacated position.