Gillett City Council Appoints New Mayor after Beaton’s Resignation

GILLETT - At a special council meeting Monday night (October 3, 2019) Gillett Alderman and Council President, Josh McCarthy, was appointed by unanimous vote to serve as Gillett’s “Interim Mayor.”

McCarthy was appointed to fill the vacancy left by former Mayor James Beaton, who resigned in a controversial closed door session on Thursday October 3, 2019, you can read more about here.

McCarthy will serve as interim Mayor until the spring election in April 2020. McCarthy’s appointment leaves his Ward 2 seat on Council vacant. The Council may leave his position empty or McCarthy may appoint a resident of Ward 2 to take his place while he serves out the rest of Beaton’s term. Council also voted and approved Nanette Mohr as Council President.

Watch the recording of Monday nights Special Council meeting here.

After the meeting our Chief Editor, Megan, spoke with McCarthy.

There has been a lot of controversy from the public about James Beaton’s resignation, do you have any comments on this?

“It was a very tough decision on all of us. We felt bad for the former mayor and the circumstances he was under. As a council we wish him the best moving forward. However, we had to abide by the state law Wisconsin statute 17.03(4).”

There has also been some concern from the public that this change is a sign of backward progression for the City, what do you have to say about this?

“We have a very strong council and it is not made up of one person but a team of people elected by the residents to serve the City of Gillett. Communication will be key to move the city forward. Listening to our residents will move the city forward to achieve growth and to brighten blight areas.”

Was there anything Mayor Beaton was actively working on that will be directly effected by his resignation?

“No to my knowledge.”

It’s about time for the City to start working on next years budget [2020], how will this change in leadership effect this?

“Instead of 7 people working on the budget we will now have 6. The finance and personnel committee will do a good job with input from every council member. The budget will be intended to work the most efficient with the resources that we agreed to.”

Do you plan to appoint someone to fill your vacant position [Ward 2] on City Council?

“As of right now, with the budget coming up and [with me] being on other committees, such as Community Development Authority, we are looking at all options.”

Do you plan to run for Mayor in the next election [April 2020]?

“After discussions with many residents I have decided to run in the April [2020] election.”

Are there any comments you’ve heard from residents that you would like to touch on?

“I will take input from the residents I work for and work well with the council to do what’s best for the City of Gillett.”

Megan also spoke to other members of City Council after the meeting (as a group).

How do you feel this change with affect the City and it’s residents?

“It is an unfortunate event that has happened to the Former Mayor. We are just trying to follow state statue which requires immediate vacate. We will continue to be a strong council. We will not be skipping any leads. We will be better informed. A lot of things that took place all members were not informed and everyone was not included, such as the 2 hour parking, The Mayor had enforced this without councils involvement and didn’t notify any of us. Communication will be better than the past. The Former Mayor tried to communicate, but was it was not his strongest suit. Josh will be a great communicator to the Council, as he is on any other Council he is in. We will work together as a whole. Josh is a great independent member but also a great team player to bring leadership.”

How do you feel about Josh and his ability to serve as Mayor of Gillett?

“Josh will do a great job moving forward. A lot of projects that have taken place were already in progress for years. There were a lot of things happening that took time to get to completion. Josh is on top of a lot of issues coming up and always documenting. We are going forward.”

We also reached out to Mr. Beaton who said he “wishes the City of Gillett well.“

Have something to say? Contact Megan directly at Megan@GillettNews.com or let us know in the comments below!

Stay up to date with the latest local news, updates, events and more by connecting with us on Facebook.

More Links: Recent News | Local Jobs