Extended deadline draws more candidates
By Tracy Ouellette
Editor
The Town of Troy supervisor race will require a Feb. 17 primary election after last week’s extended deadline had three more candidates filing papers for the board seat held by incumbents Kathleen Tober and Town Chairman John Kendall.
Michael C. Jones filed papers for the town supervisor election late Tuesday and Richard Calland, Jeff Trapp and Allen Curler turned their papers in by the Friday deadline.
Curler is also running for the position of town chairman.
The deadline was extended to Jan. 9 because township Supervisor Ben Bourdo decided not to run for re-election but failed to file non-candidacy papers.
There are two open positions on the board.
Clerk-Treasurer Michele Stute is running unopposed in the Spring General Election.
Stute filed for a restraining order against Curler for harassment in September, which was issued in Walworth County Court, and effective until Sept. 30, 2016.
While the injunction states Curler is forbidden to have contact Stute and has to avoid places she is at, it does allow Curler to attend board meetings. He is not permitted to speak directly to Stute at the meetings, however. It also states that Curler “may only directly correspond with the Town of Troy in writing.”
Whether the restraining order will interfere with Curler’s ability to serve as supervisor if elected is unclear at the moment.
“Obviously, whatever happens the town is going to have to comply with that order, if the order remains the same or if it is modified, time will tell,” Town of Troy Attorney Eric Larson said.
Walworth County Commissioner Zeke Wiedenfeld, who issued the restraining order, said Tuesday morning that injunctions can be modified if needed, but he had no comment on if it would be necessary in this case.
Curler said he didn’t know if the injunction was going to be a problem or not if he was elected and didn’t know why the order was issued in the first place.
“I still do not understand the restraining order but the courts said I harassed her,” Curler said Monday night.
