The March 3 meeting of the Delavan City Council marked the final day of Interim City Administrator Eric Diekhoff’s employment with the city—an ending that arrived without ceremony, public acknowledgment, or even a brief word of thanks from the council that had appointed him. His departure closes a turbulent chapter in City Hall, following weeks of closed-door deliberations that preceded the resignations of both Diekhoff and City Attorney William Connor.

The meeting opened with an unexpected jolt during public comment. Former Ward 3 Alderman George Mitchell, who served 11 years on the council, stepped forward to address what he described as internal discussions among current aldermen about eliminating the city administrator position altogether. Mitchell alluded to council members privately debating replacing the administrator’s role with a system of alderman-led committees, with elected officials directly overseeing individual city departments.

Such a proposal has never been introduced, debated, or even hinted at in any public meeting during the current council’s term. No notice has been given to residents that the structure of city government might be under consideration, nor has the public been invited to weigh in on a change that would significantly alter how Delavan is managed.

Mitchell urged the council to abandon the idea, reminding members that Delavan’s employees unionized years ago in response to what he called “aldermanic mismanagement of departments, micromanagement, and terrible supervision.” He warned that returning to a system where elected aldermen directly oversee day-to-day operations would risk repeating the same mistakes.

The tension underlying Mitchell’s remarks echoed the recent sequence of events inside City Hall. On February 3, the council entered executive session at the request of Ward 2 Alderman Joe Watts to discuss “the future” of both the city attorney and city administrator positions. The public was barred from hearing the reasoning or deliberations. Connor’s resignation was announced two weeks later, and Diekhoff submitted his own on February 18.

When Tuesday’s meeting reached Diekhoff’s final administrator’s report, he focused not on the circumstances of his departure but on the work he leaves behind. He highlighted improvements to the city’s budgeting process and emphasized the value of the monthly cash flow reports he implemented—tools designed to give the council clearer, more timely snapshots of Delavan’s financial position.

Diekhoff also noted that during his tenure, he received only two phone calls from aldermen. He urged the council to be more engaged with city operations, particularly the budgeting process, saying that consistent communication and involvement are essential for effective oversight.

Council members offered no comments before moving on to the next agenda item.

With both the city attorney and city administrator positions now vacant, and with no public discussion yet on how the city intends to proceed, residents are left waiting for clarity on the future structure—and stability—of Delavan’s government.