After more than 30 years, Trustee Julia Ballard has decided to retire from the Board and did not seek re-election. Trustee Jason Bruns also decided not to seek re-election after having served 7 years. On behalf of the Village, I would like to extend our appreciation to both Trustee Ballard and Trustee Bruns for their dedicated service to the Village of Oreana. Having said that, only one candidate, Trustee Loren Hiser filed for 1 of 3 vacant trustee positions. As a result, The consolidated municipal election being held on Tuesday, April 6th will result in 2 trustee positions becoming vacant.

The Village Code of Ordinances addresses vacant trustee positions and provides a framework for how the positions will be filled:

“When a vacancy occurs in the office of Trustee, if more than 28 months remain in the term and the vacancy occurs not less than 130 days before the general municipal election, next scheduled under the general election law, the office shall be filled for the remainder of the term at that general municipal election. During the period from the time that the vacancy occurs until the next election of Trustees, the Mayor shall appoint a qualified person to the office subject to the advice and consent of the Village Board. An appointment by the Mayor or President of acting Mayor or acting President, as the case may be, to fill a vacancy in the Office of Trustee must be made within 60 days after the vacancy occurs.”

To summarize, the remaining two years of the four year terms for both vacant trustee positions will now be up for election at the consolidated municipal election in April of 2023. As Mayor, I will appoint two individuals to fill those vacancies between April 2021 and April 2023. I will provide the names of those I wish to appoint to fill these vacancies to the board within 6o days after the vacancy occurs. The Board will then have 30 days to act on the appointments. Once the appointments are approved by the Board, the newly appointed Trustees will take their seats on the board.

Mayor Aaron Keathley