Another Year, No Performance Evaluation

FREEPORT, IL — April 2026

Nearly one year after concerns were first raised, the City of Freeport is once again approaching the deadline to complete the City Manager’s annual performance evaluation—with no indication it will be done.

Under the terms of the City Manager’s contract, a formal evaluation must be conducted each year on or before the final City Council meeting in April. In 2026, that deadline falls on April 20.

As of now, there has been no public discussion, no agenda item, and no indication that the evaluation is scheduled.

A Contractual Requirement

The annual performance evaluation serves a clear purpose: to establish expectations, measure performance, and align leadership with the priorities of the City Council and the residents of Freeport.

Without it, there is no formal process to assess the City Manager’s performance or set direction for the year ahead.

2025: The Appearance of Action

After Fighting4Freeport first covered this issue on April 4, 2025, there were signs that the process might finally be addressed.

Following the April 1, 2025 municipal election, Mayor Jodi Miller instructed aldermen to submit evaluation notes via email, suggesting that a review was underway.

However, no formal evaluation followed.

No report was presented.
No outcome was shared publicly.
No contractual obligation was fulfilled.

What appeared to be progress ultimately resulted in no measurable action.

2026: The Pattern Continues

Now, nearly a year later, Freeport finds itself in the same position.

The deadline is approaching.
The requirement remains.
And once again, there is no visible movement.

After nine years in office, the pattern has not changed.

The required evaluation remains incomplete—just as it has in prior years.

For many residents, this raises broader questions about consistency in leadership and follow-through on clearly defined responsibilities.

Accountability and Process

The absence of the evaluation is more than procedural.

Annual reviews are intended to provide accountability, establish performance benchmarks, and ensure that executive leadership remains aligned with the direction set by elected officials.

When that process is not completed, those mechanisms are effectively removed.

Looking Ahead

With the April 20 deadline approaching, attention now turns once again to City Hall.

Will the City fulfill its contractual obligation this year?

Or will another deadline pass without action?

For residents, the answer serves as more than a procedural update—it reflects how seriously the City adheres to its own standards.

From Gladys’ Window

For years, residents were told the process was in place.

Last year, it looked like it might finally happen.
Notes were submitted.
There was movement.

Then, nothing.

Now, it is April again.

The same requirement remains.
The same deadline approaches.
And once again, there is silence.

Nine years into the same administration, the situation has not changed.

At some point, the question becomes unavoidable:

Is this something that cannot be done—
or something that simply is not being done?

Because when established processes are not followed, they do not function as safeguards.

They become suggestions.

Final Thought

The requirement is clear.
The timeline is defined.
The responsibility is established.

What remains uncertain is whether it will be fulfilled.

And after nearly a decade of inconsistency, that uncertainty continues to grow.