Jansen Village Board Seat Remains Empty

By Gordon HopkinsThe open seat on the 2023 Jansen Village Board will remain vacant for at least one more month as chairperson Kesha Eldridge continues to search for a replacement.The empty seat previously belonged to Tom Goggerty, who resigned his position on the board effective September 1, 2022. The announcement was made at the meeting of the board on Tuesday, September 13. Goggerty did not attend the meeting but chairperson Kesha Eldridge read a letter from him, in which he cited “health reasons.” The remaining board members voted to accept Gogerty’s resignation, “With regrets.”Possible candidates were discussed at the most recent meeting of the board on Monday, January 10, 2023. A dozen members of the public were present and several recommended Carol Ellis, who has expressed interest in serving on the board and filed an application in writing several days ago.However, Eldridge nominated another Jansen resident, Stoney Brooks, for the board.Brooks said he was called by Eldridge on Sunday and was asked to serve on the board, although Eldridge later said the phone call actually took place on Saturday.When some attending the meeting objected to the choice, Village Attorney Gregory Kratz said, “The chairman can appointed whoever they want. The only requirement is they have to be registered voter and they have to live in the Village of Jansen.”Kratz added, “If the chairperson chose to, she could have instituted a special election.”While the chairperson can choose a replacement board member, the appointment must still be approved by the board.A motion was made to appoint Brooks to the board but the motion failed for lack of a second. Kratz then indicated that, by statute, the board would have to wait until the next meeting to consider another candidate.The question of who will serve as chair going forward was tabled due to the desire of some board members to wait until a full board is seated.

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