Lawyer picked to fill Batavia City Council vacancy
A 29-year-old lawyer will fill the 4th Ward vacancy on the Batavia City Council.
At a committee of the whole meeting on Tuesday, aldermen picked Thomas M. Connelly.
"I believe that I will bring a unique and fresh perspective to the city council," Connelly said, due to his young age and because he is a fairly new resident.
Connelly has lived in Batavia for three years, half of that in the 4th Ward.
He and his spouse are expecting their first child, he said.
Mayor Jeff Schielke will formally appoint him at the Oct. 18 council meeting. He will serve until the April 2023 election.
Aldermen interviewed Connelly and two other applicants - Susan Alderson and Jamie Saam.
Saam is a former alderman. Alderson ran for the post in 2021.
The ward encompasses most of the northwest quadrant of the city.
During the interview, aldermen asked the applicants about a variety of topics, including whether Batavia should build a second downtown bridge, what to do about the Fox River dam, and what they would do if constituents' opinions on an issue differed from what the applicants truly believed was best.
Connelly replaces Joe Knopp, who quit in September to move out of town.
With Connelly's appointment, the 14-member council will have four women and 10 men.