By Bob Peryea
CORRESPONDENT
A familiar face is returning to the Elkhorn City Council. James Boardman of 4th Street in Elkhorn was appointed to the Ward 5 Alderman seat vacated by the resignation of Kim DeHaan last month.
Boardman served on the Council from 1976 to 1982 until he was swept out of office due to dispute regarding traffic and buses at the Elkhorn High School. He also served as the President of the Police and Fire Commission.
He is a founding member of the Elkhorn Jaycees and currently works with the Walworth County Historical Society.
When asked by Alderman Gary Payson about what Boardman thought were concerns that were facing the City, he listed a number of familiar issues: the futures of Sunset Pool and City Hall and road repair. He expressed his intention to try to do all of this without raising taxes.
Boardman has lived in Elkhorn since 1945. He brings a unique perspective to the Sunset Pool issue, having been with Jaycees when the first pool was built nearly 50 years ago. At that time, the City Council voted not to fund the pool but a coalition of civic groups, including the Jaycees, approached the city with a compromise. The City offered to pay half of the $130,000 price tag if the groups were able to raise the other half.
In the end, Boardman said, they were able to raise $72,000, more than half.
Boardman will serve until April when a special election will be held for Ward 5 Alderman. He was chosen from a field of four candidates.
Two of whom, Jim Karcher and Ken Meinel, were also former Aldermen seeking to reenter public service. A political newcomer, Tom Myrin, bid for the seat, as well.
It took two rounds of voting to select Boardman. In the first round, there was a four way tie. For the second vote, only 3 votes separated the candidates. The newest Board member, Hoss Rehberg, abstained from voting.
At the end, each candidate congratulated Boardman before leaving.
The April election will see most of the board and the mayor’s seats up for election Mayor Howie Reynolds and Aldermen Scott McClory (Districts 4 and 8, repsectively), Jim D’Alessandro (3) and Brian Olson (6) will all be up for reelection.
Paperwork for filing for candidacy is available the last week of November. Candidates can begin circulating for signatures on December 1. Nomination papers and Declaration of Candidacy will be due to the City Clerk’s office on January 7, 2014.
