ST. FRANCIS, Wis. — Some St. Francis residents are calling for a special election after a recently elected alderman resigned just weeks into a new four-year term, leaving the Common Council to decide how the vacant seat will be filled.
Former District 3 Alderman Matt Damon resigned 31 days into his new term after being elected in April, according to residents who spoke at a recent Common Council meeting. The vacancy leaves one of District 3's two alderperson seats open.
At Tuesday's meeting, several residents urged city leaders to pursue a special election. Instead, the Common Council unanimously voted to move forward with an appointment process, prompting concerns from some residents who say voters should have a say in choosing the district's next representative.
"It feels a little underrepresented from the community," said District 3 resident Kendall Follmer, who voted in the April election. "Not a democratic process that someone who resigns so early in such a long term is going to be an appointed seat."
Under Wisconsin law, municipalities have multiple options when an elected office becomes vacant. According to a memo prepared by City Attorney Paul Alexy, the council may appoint someone to fill the remainder of the term, appoint someone until a special election is held or leave the seat vacant until a future election.
The memo states it is already too late to place a special election for the vacancy on the November ballot because of state election deadlines.
Follmer said residents are not advocating for the seat to remain vacant. Instead, she believes the city could appoint someone temporarily and allow voters to elect a representative during a future election cycle.
Watch: District 3 residents push for election after St. Francis alderman resigns
"We could do that in the April election and the council could appoint someone in the interim, so our district will not be underrepresented in the meantime," she said.
Follmer was among several residents who spoke during public comment before the council's decision.
"I spoke about the options for filling the seat and advocated for filling this position with a special election," she said.
The debate centers largely on who should choose the next representative for District 3.
The Follmers argued that if the council appoints a replacement, five elected officials would effectively decide District 3's representation, even though only one of those officials currently represents the district.
Adam Follmer said the city's estimated cost of a special election — between $6,000 and $8,000, according to city officials — should not outweigh the value of allowing residents to vote.
"Democracy matters and I don't want to ignore the price tag because I care about this city and what we spend money on," he said.
Follmer said he reviewed the city's budget and noted an increase in funding for fireworks from $8,000 to $16,000. He argued the city could prioritize funding an election instead.
"The idea that it's fireworks is interesting because presumably they'll be used during the Fourth of July when we celebrate our country and democracy," he said. "What we have right now in our district is the council voting against democracy."
The Follmers also pointed to policies adopted by other Wisconsin municipalities, including Madison, which allows temporary appointments before a special election under certain circumstances.
City officials, however, argue that appointment is the most practical option.
In a statement to TMJ4 News, City Administrator Mark Johnsrud said most Wisconsin municipalities choose appointments because they avoid additional election costs and allow representation to be restored more quickly.
Johnsrud said an appointment can typically be completed within a few months, while a special election can take six to 12 months.
"Contrary to opinion, democracy is maintained through Common Council appointment due to fact that the voting public duly elected each of the Council members to be their representative," Johnsrud said.
The city attorney's memo similarly notes that municipalities often choose appointments because of election costs, scheduling challenges and historically lower turnout in special elections.
Follmer said residents remain disappointed by the council's decision.
"My hope initially was that in speaking at the council meeting, my voice would be heard and that I'm not the only citizen who feels that way," she said.
She said the issue is especially important because District 3 is home to several ongoing development discussions, including the proposed Triangle development project.
"There's development in our district where this vacancy is, so having someone elected into the position is really important," Follmer said.
The city is expected to seek applications from interested District 3 residents before council members interview candidates and vote on an appointment.
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