It's a city job with precisely three eligibility requirements:
- You must be at least 18.
- You must be able to vote in Wauwatosa.
- And you must live within the city's 6th Aldermanic District.
That last requirement is key. District 6, one of 12 in the city, is an east-side district that includes most of the Pasadena neighborhood and part of the Tosa East Towne neighborhood. About 4,000 people live there, or one-twelfth of the city's population of nearly 50,000.
And District 6 has been without a representative on the Common Council since Sean Lowe resigned in April less than a month into his new term after revealing he had bought a house in a different district.
After an extended deliberation over how to fill the District 6 seat, the Common Council voted on July 28 to begin the process of making a temporary appointment until the seat can be filled permanently by a special election in April.
On July 31, four council members were chosen by random drawing for the District 6 selection committee: Melissa Dolan, Rob Gustafson, Brad Foley and Indy Stluka. Mayor Dennis McBride appointed a fifth, Ernst Franzen, to round out the five-member committee.
A week later, on Aug. 7, the city posted a call for applicants on its website. Voters living in District 6 interested in applying are encouraged to submit a letter of intent, a current resume and any supporting materials by the Aug. 21 application deadline.
The selection committee is scheduled to meet Aug. 26 to review submissions and interview candidates, and the committee's recommendation will be forwarded to the full council for adoption, possibly by its late-September meeting.
Each member of the Common Council earns $7,200 a year. Normal council terms are four years. The appointee will serve until April 20, after which the winner of that month's election will begin serving the remaining three years of the District 6 seat's term.
- David Paulsen, a District 5 resident and editor of Tosa Forward News, has more than 25 years of experience as a professional journalist. He can be reached at editor@tosanews.com.
