Action being taken to ensure against the unknown

“We also are short a president,” Mayor Al Haas announced to the Council at its most recent meeting. “Do we want to elect a new president or wait until after the April election?” Haas asked.

With Kent Barby’s recent resignation from Ward 2, the Stanley Common Council lost more than a long-time public servant. It lost its number two should something happen wherein Mayor Haas should either be absent or else become incapacitated, and unable to do the job. Barby you see was the Common Council’s President for Stanley, which post is tasked under 62.09(8)(e) of the state statutes with presiding at meetings in the mayor’s absence and making pertinent decisions—kind of like the vice president at the federal level, if not quite. The ordinary procedure is laid out online at docs.legis.wi.gov: “Wisconsin statute 62.09(8)(e) The council at its first meeting subsequent to the regular election and qualification of new members, shall after organization, choose from its members a president, who, in the absence of the mayor, shall preside at meeting of the council, and during the absence or inability of the mayor shall have the power and duties of the mayor, except that the president shall not have power to approve an act of the council which the mayor has disapproved by filing objections with the clerk. The president shall when so officiating be styled ‘Acting Mayor.’” “I do feel we need to put someone in place, just in case,” Haas said of choosing a new president in the interim before the April election. Seeking Council feedback, Mayor Haas was told by Jacob Huff that he (Haas) should nominate someone, while another council member on the other side of the chamber counseled contacting the League of Municipalities, which suggestion was ultimately decided upon. If it needed to be voted on, Council members would receive voting materials in their next Council packet, Haas said.

With the step being taken to ensure Stanley’s continued legal authority into the future, the time is now it seems, to choose a new president, pursuant to state statute and council deliberation. More to come in February, when there should be a name!