By Robert Medley
Managing Editor
Okarche voters approved expanding the town board of trustees from three members to five members in a special election Sept. 12.
Voters did not decide whether the town limits of Okarche would be divided into wards, or whether there would be five at-large members.
Currently, Okarche has three members, Mayor Jeff Sadler, and trustees Jason Kroener and Jeff Brueggen.
Kroener, who was elected this year, said residents had expressed interest in expanding the board. Town trustees currently serve four years.
Voters overwhelmingly approved. Residents voted to add more trustees with 109 votes in favor, 85.83% to 18 against, 14.17%.
At the Monday, Sept. 25 town trustee meeting, an item was on the agenda to discuss the results of the election and to give the “direction for the election of all trustees at-large or to define ward boundaries and directing a town attorney to draft an appropriate ordinance.”
The choice was to draw up wards for trustees to serve in or leave the system with at-large trustees.
“Five wards would be problematic, at the minimum,” Kroener said at the Monday meeting, shaking his head.
The terms are for four years and an election could be every two years so not all five trustees would be up for election at the same time. The option of having three trustees representing wards and two being at-large was discussed.
Town Clerk Dana Reese said, “Our residents are pretty active as far as voting. We’ve had great voter turnout. And I trust that our residents always try to vote for and choose the best candidate. So I have faith that will happen regardless of which way we go,” Reese said.
Mayor Jeff Sadler said, “As long as there are enough people to run.”
Kroener asked about how often an election would be needed.
“There is no way to stagger the elections so that you would be doing an election every year like the school board is?” Kroener asked.
No decision was made at the Monday meeting. The trustees instructed town attorney Bryce Kennedy to study the issue further to determine the options before a decision is made.
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