Get on the Ballot: School Board, City, Town Seats Up for Election

The chance to offer public service is here.

Brookfield and Elm Grove residents have the opportunity to get their names on the April 2 ballots and win election to serve on the Elmbrook School Board, City Council and Town Board.

The first step would be going to City Hall, Town Hall or the School District business office to submit a registration form and then interested candidates need to obtain nomination signatures from a sufficient number of electors (voters) in that desired seat's boundaries.

If there are more than two candidates for any office, there will be a primary election on Feb. 19.

Here are the seats available:

Brookfield Common Council

Third Aldermanic District (view map): When Ald. Jim Garvens died last February, aldermen appointed Jeff McCarthy to Garvens' seat. But McCarthy's appointment was for a year until the spring 2013 elections when voters will choose who serves the final year of Garven's term.

Aldermen serve four-year terms with an annual salary of about $10,000.

Brookfield Town Board

A majority of the five-member Town Board will be up for election in spring. Voters will select a town chairman and two supervisors. Incumbents in the seats are longtime chairman Keith Henderson and supervisors Dan Shea and Mike Maxwell.

But Maxwell has resigned because he is moving out of the town. The Town Board on Tuesday may appoint a replacement to keep a five-member board through April.

Today (Monday, Dec. 3) is the last day town residents interested in being appointed can apply to the Town Clerk with a letter of interest. Two others had submitted letters as of Friday: Corey Eggers and Steve Kohlmann, who serves on the town's Community Development Authority and Board of Review.

The chairman receives a $7,500 annual salary; supervisors are paid $5,000 a year. All are elected to serve two-year terms.

Elmbrook School Board

Two of the School Board's seven seats are up for re-election. Bob Ziegler has said he will not run again, while Glen Allgaier intends to seek another term.

Residents interested in running for Ziegler's at-large seat can live anywhere within the Elmbrook School District boundaries.

Candidates running for the Area II seat currently held by Allgaier must live in that area, which is the northwest quadrant of the district, roughly north of North Avenue and west of Calhoun Road plus a small area east of Calhoun Road north of Capitol Drive. (see map)

School Board members serve three-year terms with a $3,600 annual salary.

Interested candidates can attend an informational meeting to learn about the commitment and work involved in serving on the School Board. Those meetings will be at 8 a.m. Dec. 13 and 7 p.m. Dec. 18 in room 133 of the district administrative offices, 13780 Hope St., Brookfield.