Changing of the Guard: New Mayor, Aldermen to Be Sworn In

There is little of the regular business of city government on the agenda Tuesday night for the Wauwatosa Common Council.

Rather, the business is the governors themselves.

Kathy Ehley will be sworn in as mayor to begin a four-year term, along with three new aldermen.

Jim Moldenhauer in the 1st District, Greg Walz-Chojnacki in the 3rd District, and Joel Tilleson in the 5th District in the April 3 general election to take four-year seats on the council.

The proceedings will be broadcast live from City Hall on cable Channel 25.

The new council will soon have one empty chair, as District 2 Ald. Eric Meaux, who also served as council president and interim mayor since the departure of Jill Didier, has .

Meaux is moving from the Milwaukee area to take a new job.

One of the earlier official acts in Mayor Ehley's tenure will be to appoint a selection committee of sitting council members to choose a replacement for Meaux.

District 2 residents will be asked to apply for the post, the committee will interview the candidates that come forward, and its selection will be forwarded to the full council for final approval.

That person's term will last only until next April, when the position will come up for general election for a three-year stint to complete the term of office.

Departing also is Linda Nikcevich, who chose not to run for re-election to her 1st District seat, launching a three-way race to replace her, won by Moldenhauer.

Nikcevich said she enjoyed her position on the council but wanted to focus on career goals.

Jacqueline Jay of the 3rd District and Michael Walsh of the 5th will be leaving the council after narrow defeats – a 17-vote margin in Jay's case and just 9 votes in Walsh's.

Walsh was also chairman of the Budget and Finance Committee.

Election results were certified April 9 and no requests for recounts had been filed by the Thursday deadline.

Incumbent aldermen, including Meaux, won uncontested re-election to return to their seats across the other five districts.

All the departing aldermen will receive an official recognition of their service to the community as the first order of business Tuesday for the regular council meeting, beginning at 7:30 p.m.

Before that, though, the sitting aldermen will convene a Caucus of the Common Council, to begin at 6:30, to take nominations for candidates for Common Council president and aldermanic members of the Plan Commission, Economic Development Advisory Committee and the Wauwatosa Economic Development Corp.

Those nominations will be confirmed in the regular council meeting, just after the new members and mayor are sworn.

The proceedings will be broadcast live from City Hall on cable Channel 25.

Both new and departing council members will be treated to a reception following adjournment.