Brenden Moore
The State Journal-Register
Mayor Jim Langfelder has appointed Ward 7 Ald. Joe McMenamin to serve as the city’s mayor pro tem, replacing Ward 3 Ald. Doris Turner, who had held the title since 2015.
The mayor pro tem runs city council meetings when the mayor isn’t present and becomes the acting mayor if there’s a vacancy in the office. The switch was made official earlier this week. The appointment is at the sole discretion of the mayor and does not require city council approval.
“It’s a great potential responsibility, which I’ll take seriously and work to be prepared for anything that might happen,” McMenamin said. “But as I replied to the mayor when he first asked me, I said, ‘Mayor, please stay healthy.’ I think it’s a significant honor to be trusted and have the confidence of the mayor. And the respect is mutual.”
Langfelder appointed Turner to the role upon taking office in 2015, but said he always intended to select a new person for his second term. He said the switch was delayed by the pandemic and other matters that consumed much of the council’s time over the past year-and-a-half, such as the Center for Health and Housing debate.
Langfelder and Turner are both Democrats. McMenamin has previously run for office as a Democrat, but identifies as an independent.
The Sangamon County Democratic Party, chaired by Turner, did not endorse Langfelder’s reelection after supporting his first mayoral run in 2015. The mayor said there was “nothing personal” and “no hidden agenda” behind the mayor pro tem change, however.
“The reason for Joe is, you know, he’s in his last term, too,” Langfelder said. “So I felt that he’s kind of a middle-of-the-road-type person. He always speaks his mind. And I thought that was important when I looked for a replacement.”
McMenamin and Turner, both elected in 2011, are the council’s most senior members. Neither is eligible to run for reelection in 2023 due to term limits.
Turner, reached Friday, said “it has been my great honor and privilege to serve as Mayor Langfelder’s mayor pro tem for these six years.”
The position has largely been ceremonial the past few years as Langfelder hasn’t missed a single council meeting during his tenure.
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Joe McMenamin for Ward 7 