Committee of the Whole Meeting - March 7, 2025: Process for Filling 2nd District Aldermanic Vacancy
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Committee of the Whole Meeting - March 7, 2025
The City of Racine Committee of the Whole met on March 7, 2025, at 5:30 PM in City Hall, Room 205, to discuss and decide on the process for filling the vacancy in the 2nd Aldermanic District following the passing of Alder Jones. The meeting lasted 16 minutes, adjourning at 5:46 PM. Nine aldermen were present, one absent, and four excused. The council considered whether the current (old) council or the incoming council (after the April 1 election) should make the appointment.
Discussion Items
- City Attorney summarized options: The council could fill the vacancy by appointment, call a special election, or leave the seat vacant until the end of the term (April 2026). The council must decide which body makes the appointment.
- Alder Kaprelian expressed support for the old council making the decision, citing the wisdom and experience of the current body.
- Alder Peete argued the new council should decide, stating the burden should be on the incoming council.
- Alder Harmon also supported the new council deciding, noting it would allow the new members to choose whom they wish to work with and gain decision-making experience.
Key Outcomes
- Motion by Alder Maack, seconded by Alder Kaprelian, to have the old council select the replacement.
- Motion passed by a vote of 5 to 4. Ayes: Coe, Davis, Maack, Kaprelian, Sebastian. Noes: Horton, Peete, Land, Harmon. Excused: Weidner, Perez, Kelly. Absent: Esqueda.
- The meeting adjourned at 5:46 PM.
Meeting Transcript
If Alders could take their seats, please. Four six eight. Thank you all. Seeing that we have a quorum, I would like to call to order the committee of the whole meeting for Tuesday, March 4th, 2025. We have a single item on the agenda tonight, which is discussion and decision on the process for filling the second aldermanic vacancy. I'm going to call on the city attorney to summarize uh the proposal I had sent out to everyone, which was in essence follow the normal process, but there are some specific questions around that that it we're gonna have after he's done as well. But I will start with the city attorney here. Please thank you, Mr. President. Uh the common council is the one that is charged by law to determine how to proceed uh in the event of an aldermanic vacancy and how to fill and to fill such vacancy. There are several options. One is the common council could permit the seat to remain vacant and then call a special election at the call of the council, and whomever is elected would serve until the end of the term, April 2026. The common council could permit the seat to remain vacant until the end of the term in April twenty twenty six. Thank you, Mr. City Attorney. So it's pretty much the process we followed in the past. Okay. So Alder Capellian's gonna hold off for a moment on that. So the question that I have for the council, and I would certainly like everybody to weigh in on this is due to the timing of the unfortunate passing of Alder Jones. So I think I'd like for us to talk our way through that and then if we decide the new council, then we got to have to talk our way through dates. If we decide the old council, then we'll we'll just move forward at these dates unless somebody objects to that. So with that, I have three people in queue already. Alder Caprellian first. Thank you. Uh I definitely am in support of the old council body because with that comes wisdom. You understand what uh uh maybe certain character traits and how it may work to benefit in that role being the experienced body coming in. So uh I would propose uh to move forward. Um I fully support having this current council making that recommendation and appointment. Thank you. Thank you. Alder Pete. Uh yes, unfortunately I'm in a minority on this situation. I feel that the new council uh should make the decision. I understand uh cup Alder MAC made some very important points, but I still that the burden should be on a new council. Thank you. Alder Harman. Um because the decision isn't going to be made until after the election on April first. I think that it is um imperative that the new council be able to make a decision on who the alderman person would be, who they would like to work with, um, make some decisions in that. I think that also allow them to get their feet wet um in in the decision process. So I I too believe that it should wait until after the new council. All right. Thank you. I see we have a bit of division here. So what I would ask for would be a motion to uh move forward as as I proposed, and we'll see if that passes or not, first of all, then have a motion by Alder Mack and the second by Alder Caprellian. I think we're gonna need to do a voice vote on this one. I know we weren't prepared for that, but if that's okay, uh me, we appreciate it. So the motion before you is in essence to have the old the old council do the selection. So vote a vote for yes means the old council. Oh I'm sorry. Oh, Rom one.
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