Third fire chief resigns

By Gail-Peckler-Dziki/Correspondent

Weeks after Silver Lake Fire Chief Dave Kordecki turned in his resignation, the Silver Lake Village Board officially accepted it during the Aug. 6 regular board meeting. His letter of resignation is dated July 15; just four days after the village received the letter of demand from Silver Lake Fire Association attorney John Kiel.

Kordecki resigned verbally to the members on July 14. He turned in his keys, radio and gear, except for the fire chief shield to Allie Draeger, the firefighter that the SLFD recently elected chief.

Koredecki was appointed chief by the Village Board on June 18 and is the third person to resign as chief since mid-May. Andrew McFarlane retired as chief and a member of the department on May 13. Interim Chief Roger Pattie resigned as chief on May 21, but remained a member of the department.

Fire department members see Draeger as their duly elected chief. Firefighter Greg Galich wrote in a statement to The Report, “The Silver Lake Fire Department has always picked its own Fire Chief and the board approves it. This time, the board did not even look at Chief Allison Draeger’s credentials before approving Roger Johnson’s choice.

“We voted in Chief Allison Draeger as Fire Chief. That is whom the Silver Lake Fire Department recognizes as Chief. She is more qualified than most other chiefs that have served…The Silver Lake Fire Department, has hired legal representation to help make our voices heard. We work for the citizens of the Village of Silver Lake, not special interest groups.”

The letter from Kiel claims that the village violated both Wisconsin State statutes and Silver Lake Fire Department (SLFD) policy by appointing someone other than the person elected by the fire department.

Kordecki lasted three weeks and his letter cites criticism he faced on social media, from a village board member, residents and peers in service. The last paragraph of his letter read, “I want to be clear. I’m not resigning because I’m weak, I’m resigning because I know when something can’t be fixed the way it is…Just remember that no one is lining up outside the department to take this on.”

Kordecki’s final sentence was, “So to my opposition, you didn’t win you just screwed this village even more.”

Although not a village resident, Kordecki weighed in on the “Dissolve Silver Lake issue” by asking Silver Lake residents if they wanted to be a drop in a bucket or maintain specific village services, a bigger voice and the ability to walk into the village hall and know to whom they are speaking.


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