Three incumbent aldermen have decided not to seek re-election to the Clintonville Common Council.
Mark Doornink, Phil Rath and Bill Zeinert have turned in papers indicating they will not run in the April 7 election, according to City Clerk Peggy Johnson.
Zeinert represents District 1 and is in his second term. Rath represents District 2 and is finishing his second term. Doornink represents District 5 and is finishing his fourth term.
Former Alderman Steve Kettenhooven has taken out his nomination papers for a District 3 seat but has not yet filed. Amy Steenbock was appointed to the council in October after Jerry Jorgenson resigned.
Lois Bressette, who defeated Greg Rose in his recall election in District 4, has filed her papers to seek re-election.
Candidates have until 5 p.m. Jan. 6 to file their candidacy papers with the city clerk. If more than two candidates file for any seat, a primary election will be held Feb. 17.
Aldermen serve two-year terms.
It has been a difficult year for the council.
The city’s first-ever recall effort, against Rose, coincided with the council’s decision to suspend then-City Administrator Lisa Kotter for unspecified allegations of misconduct.
Initially suspended in May, Kotter resigned Sept. 10. She and the city issued a news release saying her departure was not based on any misconduct but rather on “philosophical and stylistic differences.”
The city will continue paying Kotter through May 15, 2015, and Kotter agreed not to sue the city. Through August, the city had spent more than $17,000 on legal fees for the investigation and subsequent negotiations with Kotter.
Resident Bill Van Daalwyk, who led the recall effort against Rose, also has said other council members also could face recall.
James Krause (District 1), Gloria Dunlavy (District 2), MaryBeth Kuester (District 4) and Jeannie Schley (District 5) will be eligible for recall after the April election.
Van Daalwyk said Rose and other council members, among other issues, breached their fiduciary duty by voting to replace a competent municipal attorney with an inexperienced relative of two council members.
Mayor Judith Magee, meanwhile, took a medical leave of absence from Oct. 1 to Nov. 26 citing stresses of the job and working with the Common Council.
In December, council members and the city attorney accused Magee of illegally authorizing a check for improvements for TIF 3 in August.
City Attorney April Dunlavy is the daughter of Alderperson Gloria Dunlavy and niece of Alderperson Jeanne Schley.
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