For the second time since the April election, the Warrenton Board of Aldermen has rejected Mayor Eric Schleuter’s nomination for the Ward 1 alderman seat, this time for Frank Cusumano.
…
This item is available in full to subscribers.
We have recently launched a new and improved website. To continue reading, you will need to either log into your subscriber account, or purchase a new subscription.
If you are a digital subscriber with an active subscription, or you are a print subscriber who had access to our previous wesbite, then you already have an account here. Just reset your password if you have not yet logged in to your account on this new site.
If you are a current print subscriber and did not have a user account on our previous website, you can set up a free website account by clicking here.
Otherwise, click here to view your options for subscribing.
Please log in to continue |
For the second time since the April election, the Warrenton Board of Aldermen has rejected Mayor Eric Schleuter’s nomination for the Ward 1 alderman seat, this time for Frank Cusumano.
Schleuter nominated Cusumano for the appointment at a special meeting Aug. 4. Alderman Brandon Lang made a motion to approve the appointment, which was seconded by Alderman Christine Wait.
Lang and Wait also voted in favor of the appointment, but Aldermen Josh Chandler, Roger Romaker and Larry Corder voted against it and the motion died on a 3-2 vote. Alderman Jack Crump, who has been serving as a holdover in the Ward 1 seat and will continue to do so following the Aug. 4 meeting, did not vote.
The Ward 1 seat has been without an elected alderman since April, when Crump lost the election to Cody Turner, despite Turner having died before election day. At a special meeting June 16, Schleuter nominated Crump for the seat but that appointment, too, was rejected by a 3-2 vote.
Schleuter asked at the Aug. 4 meeting if anyone else wanted to come forward as a candidate for the seat, but no one at the meeting did. He said if someone is interested, they can email City Administrator Brandie Walters. He also asked City Attorney Bradley Pryor to “please explain” what happens now that a second nomination has been rejected.
“So because the vote failed, then Mr. Crump remains in as the holdover candidate, or the holdover alderman,” Pryor said.
“Mr. Mayor, you still have the authority to appoint another person if you so choose, but until that time at which an appointment is made and that person is confirmed by a majority vote of the remaining members of the board, Mr. Crump will continue to serve in that seat.”
At the July 21 Board of Aldermen meeting, Alderman Romaker said he understood concerns voiced by members of the public about filling the Ward 1 seat and respecting the will of the people.
“Unfortunately, the will of the people is deceased and cannot be put in office, and the alderman that’s currently there received the second most votes, and anybody that was appointed received no votes in the last election,” said Romaker.
