The current mayor, Chris Watson, will step down following the normal June 28 board of aldermen meeting.
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Truesdale will take the necessary steps to appoint a new mayor during a special board of aldermen meeting following the normal June 28 meeting.
Mayor Chris Watson, who announced his resignation at the May 24 meeting, will chair the normal meeting. His resignation will formally be accepted at the conclusion of the normal June 28 meeting, according to City Clerk Elsa Smith-Fernandez.
At the special meeting, a current member of the board of aldermen will nominate an individual to replace Watson.
Smith-Fernandez said anyone interested in being nominated as mayor should contact city hall.
“That would be ideal that way because it’s ultimately going to have to be a nomination done by an alderman,” she said.
If the new mayor comes from the board of aldermen, another special meeting is scheduled for July 12 to name a replacement alderman.
That person would be appointed by the new mayor and would need to be approved by the board of aldermen before taking the seat, Smith-Fernandez said. It would take the votes of the three remaining aldermen to approve the candidate.
Watson announced he was stepping down as mayor, a position in which he has served since 2017, because he and his family were moving outside the city limits.
“It’s been a blessing to be able to be a part of this community and see the amount of growth that has changed in our community,” he said. “I’m just very blessed to be able to give back to my community.”
During Truesdale’s annual Railroad Days: Summerfest on June 3, the city honored Watson with a proclamation and announced the concession area would be named after him. The announcement was made by current board of aldermen President Jerry Cannon.
“The people of Truesdale owe him a debt and definitely owe him their gratitude. He has been a fantastic mayor,” Cannon said.
About the author: Jason Koch is the editor of The Warren County Record, and covers local news and government for the newspaper. He has won multiple awards from both the Indiana and Illinois APME and from the Illinois Press Association. He can be reached at 636-456-6397 or at jason@warrencountyrecord.com
