A week in my life as a Town Supervisor

I was out to dinner last Sunday and encountered a resident who was curious as to how many hours a week I work as a Town Supervisor. I had to guess a figure, as I had never really tracked the time before. It did get me to thinking of how some people's perceptions might be that little work is required as a Town Supervisor, and they are suspicious that we receive a paycheck. I do appreciate earning a salary for the position, however, I can understand a taxpayer's curiosity. You are paying my salary.

Anyway, I threw a number out there. I think it was 8 hours. Afterward, I started counting up in my head, and realized the number was quite low. So, I decided to track on paper every contact or town-related activity that I did for a week. Here are the results:

Thursday, January 10

• 1.5 hours. Networking breakfast with Buchanan Sup. Mani and Menasha Sup. McNamee
• 1 hour. Follow up phone conversations with excavators I had contacted earlier in the week to quote additional work recommended by Boldt for fire station.

Thursday total: 2.5 hours

Friday, January 11

• 30 minutes Phone conversation with Sup. Nooyen about communication committee report
• 1 hour. Phone conversation with resident about town concerns.
• 10 minutes. Phone conversation with April Aire resident.
• 15 minutes. Phone conversation with lawyer's office regarding eviction of April Aire residents
• 30 minutes. Phone conversation with corporate business about potentially building in Grand Chute
• 30 minutes. Town Hall visit with Admin Rohloff and Lt. Martin regarding eviction of April Aire residents
• 30 minutes. Fire station visit regarding proposal update for ambulance services
• 30 minutes.Travel time
• 10 minutes. Phone call with VHBA regarding how to make members aware of upcoming fire station electrical and HVAC bid packages.
• 30 minutes. Phone conversation with car dealership owner regarding special event at the old Springz location.

Friday total: 4.45 Hours

Saturday, January 12

• 3 hours. Review Friday report
• 3 hours. Attend fire fighter's holiday party

Saturday total: 6 Hours

Sunday, January 13

• 15 minutes. Town correspondence

Sunday total: .25 hours

Monday, January 14

• 1.5 hours. Office hours at town hall
• 45 minutes. Room Tax meeting at PAC with travel time
• 30 minutes. Town correspondence
• 10 minutes. Phone conversation with resident letting her know Hwy A overpass snow removal was on tomorrow's agenda.

Monday total: 2.85 hours

Tuesday, January 15

• 15 minutes. Conversation with April Aire resident regarding police patrol at the park.
  
• 1 hour. Attend Plan Commission meeting
• 1.25 hours. Town Board meeting
• 30 minutes. Talk with town residents directly after meeting.

Tuesday total: 3.0 hours

Wednesday, January 16

• 2 hours. April Aire task force meeting with travel time

Wednesday total: 2 hours

Total: 21.05 hours

Total hours are not counting the time spent maintaining my blog, responding to emails, replying on message boards, or talking with residents outside of board meetings. I run into people who know I am a town supervisor many times—whether I am out to eat with my wife, watching the Packers game at a sports bar, or picking up supplies at Menards. They are very interested in speaking with me about developments in the news lately.

I made a pledge to be the hardest working Supervisor, and am doing my best to follow through with that pledge.