East Troy board appoints Scott Seager to fill trustee vacancy

The East Troy Village Board voted unanimously Wednesday to appoint Scott Seager to fill a trustee vacancy, effective when Seager signs his oath of office.

Board members said timing and cost weighed against holding a special election. Eileen, a village staff member who summarized election requirements, told the board a special election would take at least three and a half months if no primary were required and at least four and a half months if a primary were required; the village would bear the full cost of a standalone special election and must publish Type A and Type E notices as part of the timeline.

Trustee Holmes moved to appoint Seager, and Trustee Nugent seconded the motion. After brief discussion and a roll-call voice vote, the motion carried with all members voting in favor.

The board discussed several options for filling the seat, including taking applications and interviewing candidates or appointing the next-highest vote-getter from the most recent election. Holmes said Seager had received more votes than the other candidate who had registered and recommended appointing him. Staff confirmed Seager had agreed to serve if appointed.

The board noted the appointment would fill the board's current four-member roster back to full membership and avoid the cost and delay of a special election. Eileen advised that if the board instead chose a special election, the legal notice and nomination timetable would make a prompt election difficult and consume much of the remaining term.

The appointment becomes effective when Seager signs his oath and completes administrative onboarding with village staff.