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Elgin votes to fill vacant council seat

The city of Elgin will be seeking applications from people interested in filing a vacant seat on the city council, officials said.

The decision was made during the executive, or closed, session portion of Wednesday night's council meeting, Councilman John Prigge said.

Prigge said he voted "no," and instead wanted the seat to remain vacant until the April 2015 election. He wasn't the only one who voted no, he said.

Former Councilwoman Anna Moeller resigned her seat March 30, when she was sworn in as state representative for the 43rd House District.

Councilman Rich Dunne said he voted with the majority to look for a replacement for Moeller.

He pointed out that state board of elections officials said that the seat should be filled as a general rule to ensure proper representation.

"Unfortunately, I think it will be contentious moving forward, because some (council members) are not looking at it with an open mind," he said.

Prigge pointed out that there were only seven people on the council until the 2013 election, when the number was increased to reflect the city's population increase.

Also, former Councilman Bob Gilliam was often absent in 2012 to tend to his wife's illness, lowering the number of voting council members to six, he added.

"This is 100 percent Chicago-style politics," he said. "This is about how to make friends and influence people."

Moeller replaced former state representative Keith Farnham, who resigned in March amid a federal investigation.

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