Portage Indiana City Council member Collin Czilli has held his City Council office position for the last four years. Having that Czilli grew up in Portage, he truly enjoys being a city council member.
The job of a City Councilman is to be a member of the fiduciary body of the city and to set the budgets for all of the city departments. These departments work hand in hand with the Mayor and with the City Council. Also, they are the legislative body of the city and are responsible for passing all of the ordinances and laws in the city.
We sat down and asked Councilman Czilli a few questions.
Q: What do you like about the job of being on the city council?
A: I like to connect with the residents of Portage and to be their voice on the city council. Being on the City Council gives me the opportunity to serve the community and to help see it grow.
Q: What has been your biggest project that you’ve worked on?
A: I’ve been focusing on the drainage issue because it directly affects my district. I want to make sure I protect taxpayer dollars.
Q: What are you most excited about in your next term?
A: I'm most excited about working with dedicated individuals who truly want to do what's best for Portage.
Q: What plans do you have for your next term?
A: We have to get our financial house in order. The next four years will be largely focused on finding ways to cut budgets and improve our financial standing. For the first time in Portage's history, we have full one-party control. We must ensure that we are making decisions that are good for all Portage residents.
Q: How did you decide that you wanted to be on the City Council?
A: I wanted to provide excellent service to the Portage citizens.
Q: What is the difference, if any, between a town council and city council?
A: A town council is a three or five-member body that oversees most of a town's functions. They may hire a town manager to handle day to day work. A City Council is a five, seven, or nine-member body. All cities have a Mayor who holds executive power. Depending on whether a city is a third or second class city, the Mayor may run the City Council meetings. Portage is a third-class city.
Czilli does a good job on the Portage city council. He enjoys his job and enjoys serving the people of Portage, and he is looking forward to the opportunity to improve the city of Portage in the future.
