Vermilion council approves emergency appointments for department heads and authorizes temporary mayoral financial authority

The Vermilion City Council on Jan. 2 adopted a series of emergency measures to confirm new department leadership and ensure continuity of city operations while several director positions are being filled.

During first readings and suspensions of the rules, council voted to adopt ordinances confirming Anthony Valerius as director of public service (Ordinance 2026‑1), Chad Agney as finance director effective Mar. 1, 2026 (Ordinance 2026‑2), a city engineer services contract with Grama Engineering & Surveying (Ordinance 2026‑3), and an appointment of a law director with an assistant law director (Ordinance 2026‑4). Several members asked that particular sections be split out and reviewed again at the Jan. 5 meeting, but the body carried the emergency measures to ensure legal coverage and staffing.

Separately, following a brief executive session on personnel the council voted to authorize Mayor Russell Owens to sign purchase orders, checks (including accounts payable and payroll), wire transfers, contracts and grant applications and other financial documents as needed until the finance director takes office. The mayor had been asked earlier in correspondence to serve as interim director of public safety and to forgo compensation; the council also voted to approve that appointment.

Council members debated specifics of the law‑director contract, including a proposed section addressing litigation authority and hourly rates; one member said those provisions would be separated into a later ordinance to allow additional review. "There are certain things where we're initiating litigation that obligates the city to pay money," a council member said, urging careful drafting of any authority that would let the mayor or law director commit the city without council approval.

Votes were taken by roll call for each ordinance and for the mayoral authorizations; those measures were approved on the record. Council scheduled follow‑up on select ordinance sections at the next committee meeting so staff and incoming counsel can refine language.