Mary Hansen
The State Journal-Register
The Springfield city clerk’s office is fielding inquiries about how to be a candidate for the remaining two years of Ward 6 Ald. Cory Jobe’s term on the Springfield City Council.
Meanwhile, Mayor Jim Langfelder’s office is accepting resumes from residents interested in serving as alderman for the central Springfield ward between Jobe’s last day on Nov. 15 and when the winner of the April election is sworn in.
Some members of the city council, which must approve the mayor’s choice for an interim appointee, hope that whoever the mayor nominates for the approximately six-month assignment is not going to run in the spring election to hold the job until the spring of 2019.
“I’m not going to discount somebody because they’re just serving out the term or because they’re running in the election,” Langfelder said. “I don’t want to get bogged down in the politics of it.”
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For Ward 7 Ald. Joe McMenamin, his preference has more to do with the demands of the job than politics.
“Generally speaking, I hope that we choose an interim alderman that will serve in the interim role only and not give an advantage to a candidate in the election,” he said. “More importantly, it would be asking too much to both learn the job, especially during budget season, and also run for office.”
Langfelder has said he hopes to nominate an interim alderman for council approval in November, though he technically has until mid-January to do so.
Joe McMenamin for Ward 7 