“Well done, thou good and faithful [public] servant…” seems apropos of the dozen years Roger Drey has held the title, His Honor, the Mayor of Morrison, IL. He ran for Mayor in 2001 and was unopposed for re-elections in 2005 and 2009.
He will retire from that position on Monday, May 13, 2013. Two weeks earlier, on Monday, April 29, Mayor Drey granted thecity1.com his exit interview.
What prompted you to run for public office?
“I was a janitor at the [Whiteside County] Courthouse for four years. I [had] worked in factories on the line: four years at Drives[, Inc. in Fulton, IL]; six months at GE, before I got laid off; three years at Climco, when I was going to Morrison Institute of Drafting and Technology.” He spent two semesters studying drafting. Leaving Drives to work at the Courthouse had advantages. His “father retired from there; the job offered flexible hours around Sue’s night schedule. We were married May 27, 1978, and will celebrate our 35th anniversary later this month. I had thought about being on the City Council in 1995. Sue’s friend said there was an opening and that I would make a good candidate. Sue agreed.” So, he ran upopposed for the Ward 4 Alderman position; he served for six years.
Was it difficult to set a bi-monthly agenda? “[City Clerk] Melanie [Schroeder], City Administrator [Jim Wise], Mayor, and Department Heads work on it as a team. We have done [background] work prior to [topics] being on the agenda. I never stopped anything from being on the agenda; I don’t ‘control’ the agenda.” Mayor Drey added that the Council does not need to vote on everything, as some topics are controlled by regulations in place.
What words of advice might you offer new City office holders? “It does matter what your community looks like! It’s an indication of whether you care about your community or not. If you don’t invest in it, why should anybody else? You need to address issues now, and not put them off for someone else to address at a future date. You can talk a lot, [but] talking is less a key to communication than listening.”
Will you attend City Council meetings as a citizen? “No.” With the exception of discussions of the Veteran’s Park, Mayor Drey never attended meetings of other City groups. “I wanted committees to give their own decisions, not appeal to the Mayor.”
Will you keep politically involved on boards, commissions, or foundations? “I haven’t been asked to join [any]. I might take a break. In the past [I] missed meetings due to [my] work schedule.” He will continue to work for the Whiteside County Sheriff’s Department on the swing shift, which changes every four weeks. This might make it difficult to always be available for regularly-scheduled meetings.
What has been your most difficult responsibility as Mayor? “Getting people to listen. [Pre-Council meeting] preparation [is sometimes extensive.] You may have been dealing with agenda items [for a while, and] you’re ready to take official action on it.” Sometimes there is lengthy discussion during the meetings before a vote.
What aspect of the Mayor’s position did you enjoy most, during your three terms? “Working with people; giving something back to the community. Morrison is a great place to live. [Sue and I are] glad we raised our kids here. At the [Dunlap Lodge #321] Mason’s dinner and building dedication, [I was told] what a beautiful community we had. The [Route 30] bridge looks very nice. A couple critics complimented us on how it looks. The [Morrison-Rockwood] trail is a benefit. Rockwood Park brings in a lot of people. I think the four-lane is definitely coming–U. S. Route 30 is [mostly] a four-lane road in the United States. I’m convinced it will happen after the economy turns around.”
Always forward-thinking and optimistic about Morrison’s future, Roger Drey will leave office with a sense of accomplishment and good stewarship of The City of Friendly Enterprise.