Barbara Ironside
Last month, Barbara Ironside resigned from the Silver Lake Village Board via a letter delivered to the village clerk.
Then she asked to withdraw it, which the board agreed to, keeping her on the board.
But Wednesday, village attorney Linda Gray said Ironside’s resignation was actually effective as soon as it was filed with the village clerk. So she was back off the board and the other members could appoint someone to fill out Ironside’s term, which expires in April.
And the board appointed Ironside.
But the appointment did not come without some controversy. Trustees Chris Willkomm and Sue Gerber voted against the appointment.
Willkomm loudly decried the re-appointment of Ironside, saying it would be a “big mistake.”
“You are going on with the witch hunt that’s going on in this village,” said Willkomm. He favored appointing former Trustee Marlene Engstrom to the position.
Then, Willkomm shouted at village President Jeff Albrecht “don’t wrinkle your nose at me.”
“Show some decorum, Chris,” Albrecht replied.
Trustee Sotiria Wilber defended the action of re-appointing Ironside since her initial resignation was prompted by health issues, but she wanted to withdraw it. The board’s action was just allowing her to effectively withdraw the resignation, as was her intent, she said.
Ultimately, voters could decide the issue in April, Wilber said.
Albrecht also defended the reappointment.
“People do resign and then have second thoughts,” Albrecht said.
