CALEDONIA — The Village of Caledonia must determine how it will fill its village president position after Tom Weatherston resigned last week following a disagreement with a majority of board members over development in the village.
Weatherston posted about his resignation on Facebook, citing "major philosophical differences with the village board."
Caledonia resident Joe Bontempo was surprised to learn about Weatherston's reasoning.
"That's why you elect a village board, right? To sit and hash things out and work them out. For me, to have a hissy fit and just resign, that doesn't sit well." Bontempo said.
For Bontempo, working through differences is one of the purposes of a village board.
"If you don't get your way, I don't think you should just resign. I think you should stay and fight and try to prove your point," he said.
Weatherston's resignation came after a majority of the board voted against a development agreement for proposed apartments at the intersection of North Green Bay and Four Mile roads. Approving the agreement with developers is needed for the plan to move forward, following the board's previous approval of a site plan and rezoning.
"It is important that we remain fiscally sound. We can ill afford to vote against new developments within the village," Weatherson said in his post. He also referenced state law that links local tax levy limits to new construction.
Watch: Caledonia residents react following village president's resignation
However, some residents are hesitant about plans for more multifamily housing coming to the village.
"You have a beautiful home, and now they're going to put some 8 or 10 or 12 family units in right behind you. To me, that would be something that would be upsetting," Bontempo said.
For fellow resident Scott Heusdens, who moved to Caledonia for its quiet, rural character, he is more concerned about the financial arrangements often tied to new development.
"It sounds like we're paying a developer to develop these houses that in turn he's going to sell and make money that way too," Heusdens said.
The complex proposed for Four Mile and North Green Bay is in a tax incremental district, meaning the village can offer tax incentives to the developer, and immediate revenue would stay within the TID.
Trustee Prescott Balch, who was voted into his seat in April, said those on the board who voted against the agreement are not opposed to development — only to overpaying for it.
"Why would we give away more than we have to?" Balch said.
It's a sentiment Heusdens agrees with.
"It all seems like it falls back on the taxpayer. We give these guys so much money or tax breaks to build, and I don't realize what we get out of it," Heusdens said.
The board must now decide whether to hold a special election or appoint someone to fill Weatherston's seat until the current term ends. Trustee Lee Wishau has stepped into the presidential role in the interim.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
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