Ladwig’s departure brings
changes in County leadership
By Patricia Bogumil
Editor
By Patricia Bogumil
Editor
A domino-like effect on Racine County government follows the Dec. 30 resignation of Jim Ladwig as Racine County Executive.
Ladwig announced in October that he would resign from his elected post to become the new President of Racine Area Manufacturers and Commerce on Jan. 1.
Per state statute, the chairman of the Racine County Board of Supervisors, Peter Hansen, has now temporarily assumed Ladwig’s former duties and responsibilities as county executive.
Between now and Jan. 30, the County Board’s new chairman – Russell Clark of the City of Racine – must make an appointment to fill the County Executive position through the April 7 election, when voters will decide who should permanently take over.
Clark’s appointment of a new County Executive serving until April needs approval by the County Board in order to take effect.
Hansen said he spoke with Clark to let him know he is interested in filling the County Executive position until April. Hansen said he will not run as a candidate for County Executive in April, but will seek re-election to his current position as Yorkville Town Chairman.
If Hansen is appointed by Clark to serve until the April election, and if the appointment is confirmed by the County Board, Hansen by law must resign from the County Board, and the Board will then seek applications to fill out the remaining one year term of Hansen’s position representing the 16th District, to April 2016.
Hansen said he has confirmed with the state, as well as with town and county associations, that it is legal for him to serve concurrently as Racine County Executive and Yorkville Town Chairman from now until April.
Hansen said he will not be seeking reappointment to the 16th District position after the April 7 election is complete, and has no plans to run for the 16th District County Board Supervisor seat in the next election.
“If I am appointed to fill the remainder of the term of County Executive until the April election, I will hopefully be elected to my current position as chairman for the Town of Yorkville, and that will then be the only governmental position I will have,” Hansen explained via email.
More moving around
Clark, the new County Board Chairman, had been serving as Vice Chairman of the County Board until Ladwig’s resignation and Hansen’s move temporarily to County Executive.
Statutes called for Clark, the board’s vice chairman, to automatically become the chairman of the board, Hansen said.
He said Clark’s appointment of someone as county executive until April, and the board’s vote to confirm that appointment, could happen at the Jan. 13 County Board meeting. “That is the board chairman’s call on the county executive position,” Hansen said.
With Clark now serving as chairman of the Racine county board, the chairman of the county’s Finance and Human Resources Committee, Q. A. Shakoor, has automatically assumed Clark’s former duties as county board vice chairman.
By state statute, no board confirmation on the temporary position of vice chairman needed to be made during the first 30-day period, Hansen said.
By Jan. 30, the county board will vote for a new vice chairman for the remainder of the term, he said.
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