By Dave Fidlin
Correspondent
Venerable Whitewater Common Council member James Winship will relinquish his elected seat on the seven-person governing body by the end of the year.
Winship made the announcement Dec. 2 at the tail end of the open session portion of the council meeting. He said he will continue to serve as an elected official through Dec. 31.
In addition to his role on the council, Winship is a member of the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater’s faculty, where he is a sociology professor. Earlier this year, Winship was granted a scholarship to work in Cartagena, Columbia. He leaves for the South American country next month.
“It would be really difficult for me to carry out my duties while I’m in Cartagena,” Winship said, in jest, as he announced his resignation.
Winship’s District 3 seat expires in April, and the six remaining council members have a variety of options to address the vacancy for the three intervening months.
“As I understand it, there will be at least two people running for the seat,” Winship said.
As outlined in state statutes, candidates running for all local seats — municipal and school — can begin gathering signatures. Paperwork is due Tuesday, Jan. 6. The spring general election has been set for Tuesday, April 7.
The seat could stay vacant through the spring election, when voters have their say of who will assume the position. In the interim, the council also could appoint a resident to warm the seat through the winter.
Council President Patrick Singer said he anticipates discussing the next course of action when the council holds its next meeting at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, Dec. 16.
Winship’s upcoming foray is the latest in a string of excursions abroad. Within the past decade alone, Winship has been to El Salvador 14 times through the Fulbright scholar program that is administered by the United States Department of State Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs.
