This coming Tuesday, October 22, at 6:00 p.m., the Common Council, sitting as the Committee of the Whole, will meet to interview the candidates for alderman for District 6. There are three candidates (click here for resumes and other information):
- Carol Leonard, 1430 West Donges Bay Road (resident since 2008; managed care administrator; and Chair of the Joint Mequon-Thiensville Bike & Pedestrian Way Commission)
- Richard Mueller, 10529 West Burning Bush Lane (resident since 2000; pharmacist; and President of Bayberry Fields Subdivision)
- Brian Parrish, 1824 West Sunnydale Lane (resident since 2012; commercial real estate broker and business owner; and member of the Planning Commission)
There was a fourth candidate, but he decided to withdraw his name.
Thank you to these people for stepping forward. From what I know of the three candidates, the City will be well-served no matter who is selected.
Interviews. Interviews will be in alphabetical order. After a few opening remarks, I will ask Messrs. Mueller and Parrish to leave the room. The Common Council will then interview Ms. Leonard. After Ms. Leonard is done, she will be asked to join the others, and Mr. Mueller will be interviewed. Mr. Parrish will follow. I expect, based on past experience, that each interview will last about 30 minutes. However, the interviews could take more or less time. After all three candidates have been interviewed, they may come back into Christine Nuernberg Hall.
Public Comments. After the interviews, members of the public will be allowed to speak. In the past when the Council has interviewed to fill a vacancy, there have been no public comments; however, this time there appears to be an interest. We always allow the public to comment on any matter before the Council or its Committees, and this will be no different, except that we will limit the time and number of speakers because we have a very long night of meetings following this interviewing process. To be heard, a member of the public who wishes to speak should fill-in a registration slip. Slips will be available in the back of the Hall. I will allot an equal amount of time for speakers supporting each candidate. When the allotted time for a candidate’s supporters is done, there will be no more speakers for the candidate and I will read the names and addresses of the remaining people supporting the candidate. There is an alternative. If you want to ensure that your opinion is considered, you can send an email to the City Clerk by clicking here. All emails will be provided to the Council. Public opinion is always important; however, the number of people showing up for a particular candidate or the number of emails received should not weigh heavily into this process. The number of people will be infinitesimal compared to the number of voters in the district and certainly will not be representative of the district. Instead, the Common Council should be seeking to choose the person who will best represent the district. The public will make the real decision at a special election in April.
Voting. The Committee will then vote. If there is a majority for one candidate at the end of the first vote, that candidate will be recommended to the Common Council. If not, there will be a subsequent rounds of voting. After the first round, if a candidate receives only 1 or 0 votes in a round, the candidate will not be included in the next round. When a candidate receives a majority, the voting will end and she or he will be recommended to the Council. I do not vote except in the case of a tie.
At the regular meeting on Tuesday, November 12, the Common Council will vote to confirm the candidate recommended through the process described above.