Cottage Grove trustees interview five candidates but leave open seat vacant after multiple roll-call votes

Cottage Grove, Wis. — The Village of Cottage Grove Village Board of Trustees conducted interviews May 19 for the single open trustee seat but did not appoint a replacement, leaving the seat vacant after several roll-call votes and motions.

Supporters of one candidate, Mark Spajos, addressed trustees during public comment, urging the board to “consider Mark Spajos for this important role,” and multiple residents submitted petitions and spoke in favor of appointing the fourth-place finisher in April’s election.

The board held structured interviews with all five applicants — Chuck Pallemonter, Eric Perrone, Mark Spajos, John Williams and JP Villavicencio — asking each about priorities such as public safety, housing and fiscal stewardship. Candidates described experience ranging from longtime community involvement to professional grant writing and local business ownership.

Public speakers emphasized electoral support for Spajos. Deb Moran, who identified her address and said she had collected signatures, told trustees: “I respectfully encourage the board to consider Mark Spajos for this important role.” Charles (Chuck) Martin, also speaking from the audience, added that “you won't find anyone more qualified or more genuine to serve the village than Mark,” saying Spajos “is in it for all of the residents.”

Trustees then each named preference candidates and several motions were made to appoint different applicants. The board conducted multiple roll-call votes on motions to appoint individual candidates, and those efforts did not produce a single appointee who had the majority support needed to fill the vacancy. After the sequence of motions and votes, the board announced it would remain at six members and leave the seat vacant until a later appointment or the next election cycle.

The board discussed the democratic rationale for honoring voters’ preferences in appointments, with several trustees referencing the results of the April election in deliberations. Other trustees said they were weighing candidate qualifications, prior committee service and how an appointee would work with the existing board.

No ordinance or formal policy to require appointing the next-highest vote-getter was cited on the record; one trustee noted that, “village trustees are elected positions, not appointed,” when explaining their view of the proper approach to filling the vacancy. Trustees also reminded interested residents that the seat will be on the ballot at the next regular election and that petition periods typically begin in December for April filings.

The board’s action was procedural: interviews were completed, motions and votes were recorded, but no appointment was made. Trustees encouraged the five applicants to remain engaged in village affairs; four of the applicants already had been assigned to committees. The board also noted the option to reopen the appointment process or leave the seat vacant until voters elect a new trustee in April.

For now, the village will continue operating with six seated trustees. The clerk and staff said they will publish the official minutes and vote records from the meeting and provide guidance on nomination filing deadlines for the next election cycle.