May 23, 2022 – West Bend, WI – The West Bend common council met for about 17 minutes and determined it will gather resumes and conduct interviews and then vote to fill the vacant aldermanic seat in District 8 by June 6, 2022. The person selected will serve the remainder of alderwoman Meghann Kennedy’s term and then face an election in April 2023 when the term expires.
Meetings at City Hall are free and open to the public. For anyone not aware of State Statute 19.90 Use of equipment in open session. Whenever a governmental body holds a meeting in open session, the body shall make a reasonable effort to accommodate any person desiring to record, film or photograph the meeting. This section does not permit recording, filming or photographing such a meeting in a manner that interferes with the conduct of the meeting or the rights of the participants.
History: 1977 c. 322.
Applications to be considered for the seat in District 8 are due by 1 p.m. on Friday, June 3, 2022; candidate interviews will be conducted Monday, June 6, 2022, prior to the start of the Monday council meeting.
Interviews will be held in an open meeting format; other candidates may attend; interviews will be conducted in a round-robin style. District 2 alderman Mark Allen asked that the council vote on the appointed candidate by secret ballot.
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To be eligible to serve, an individual at the time of the appointment must be:
- A citizen of the United Sates and the state of Wisconsin;
- An elector of the city of West Bend; and
- A resident of District 8.
Official maps of the districts are available at the City of West Bend Clerk’s Office and CLICK HERE for the District 8 map online.
Those interested in being considered for the District 8 aldermanic appointment are required to submit the following materials:
- Letter of interest with brief summary of what they feel they bring to the position
- Resume or statement of qualifications
To the City Clerk
1115 S. Main Street
West Bend, Wisconsin 53095
wbclk@ci.west-bend.wi.us
Clifford Van Beek, who has run for the seat in the past, was at the meeting Monday night. Others vying for the seat in February 2020 were Aaron Zingsheim and Alice M. Iaquinta.
Kennedy resigned her seat at the end of the May 16, 2022 common council meeting. She was stepping down to move to Madison, WI for work-related reasons.
Common council president John Butschlick said, “There are a lot of important issues in District 8, including the Villa Park/ Schuster Drive landfill.”
Butschlick said the taxpayers in that district need representation and the seat cannot be left empty for nearly a year.
On a side note: It has been almost seven months since the City of West Bend had a chief clerk. Former chief clerk Stephanie Justman submitted her notice October 28 , 2021
Click HERE for the last update on the search. As of May 23, 2022, the chief clerk position had not yet been filled.
Kennedy is in the middle of her second term on the common council. She shared a written statement:
I want to share an announcement that is bittersweet for me.
My family has decided that we are going to be moving to Madison within the next month. My husband business, clients and family are all there and he has been commuting back and forth for some time and my career provides me with flexibility with remote work.
Being elected to be on council and serving the people of West Bend has been such an honor. I have learned so much and one of the highlights of my career thus far is being chairman of the West Bend finance committee. It has been my pleasure working with so many talented staff throughout our city, serving on parks and rec, insurance committees and union negotiation teams.
The city is poised for growth and success, and I can’t wait to watch it from the sidelines and cheer you all on.
My last council meeting will be May 16, 2022 and my resignation will be effective May 20, 2022.
I believe many talented people will step forward to fill this role and serve district 8. Anything I can do to help smooth the transition in I am willing and able to assist with.
Thank you all,
Meghann Kennedy Alderman District 8
Sworn in in February 2020 Kennedy was selected to fill the seat long held by alderman Roger Kist, who resigned in January 2020. A fiscal hawk, Meghann Kennedy headed up the finance committee and was rigorous in her attempts to balance the budget and review the city’s health insurance options.
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Meghann Kennedy won reelection in 2021. Below is a portion of her campaign literature.
My campaign style is walking neighborhoods, talking to residents, and knocking on doors. The cost of multiple fancy mailers isn’t in my budget and I want you to know I am just as conscientious with your tax money as I am with my own money. Please check out my website if I haven’t caught you at home: www.facebook.com/KennedyDistrict8 . My page has information about me and also keeps you informed on what’s happening in District 8.
My reason for getting involved is to make a difference in West Bend. I want to make sure we consider all residents in the decisions we make at council. I am the only woman currently on the board and only one of two people on the board who is not in retirement. Meanwhile the median age of a West Bend resident is 39.7 years old. I bring the perspective of women as well as that of a working family to the board- both are large parts of our community. I think West Bend wins by having a board balanced with many points of view which includes retirees, working people, men and women. We have some great people on the board right now and I want to continue to bring fresh ideas to our board.
I am proud to be representing our District and I love engaging District 8 residents in decisions. I am honored to be endorsed by so many neighbors and by many local leaders. It is important to have talented aldermen with energy and enthusiasm to represent West Bend.
I hope I can count on your vote Tuesday, April 6.
Meghann Kennedy
The meetings at City Hall are public meetings. Wisconsin Legislature: 19.90
