Youth Commission confirms Elijah Sasseur for District 12 after discussion over availability

The Milwaukee County Youth Commission on April 23 confirmed the leadership committee’s recommended candidate, Elijah Sasseur, to fill the District 12 vacancy. The clerk recorded the roll call and the commissioners voted to approve the appointment; the clerk announced "With 15 ayes, the vote passes."

The confirmation followed the leadership committee’s recommendation and a motion to approve the candidate. The commission’s process requires committee scoring of applicants and a full commission vote; the leadership committee handled scoring for this vacancy per the co‑chairs’ authority. The clerk read that the leadership committee recommended Elijah Sasseur for approval.

Before the vote, several commissioners raised questions and comments. Commissioner Kaminski said she had reservations about the applicant’s ability to meet attendance and participation expectations given many outside commitments, noting she observed the candidate in person and that the candidate had referenced numerous extracurricular activities. "I have some reservations ... regarding their ability to effectively and properly participate," Kaminski said during debate. Other commissioners and adult advisors pushed back against heavy scrutiny and urged grace. Julia, an adult advisor, said, "I just hope that we could extend that same understanding and grace to our, you know, potential future fellow youth commissioner," and several commissioners praised the candidate’s application and advocacy-day performance.

After limited debate the clerk called the roll and recorded the ayes; the chair announced the appointment passed. The motion to approve and a recorded second were made on the floor before the roll call; names of the motion mover and seconder were not specified on the public transcript.

Why it matters: The confirmation fills one of the commission’s district vacancies and allows the new commissioner to participate in council activities, recruitment and committee work. The exchange reflected the commission’s balance between seeking committed members and recognizing applicants’ outside commitments.

Votes at a glance - Item: Confirmation of recommended candidate for District 12 (Elijah Sasseur) - Motion: Approve the leadership committee’s recommended candidate for the 2025 term vacancy in District 12 (motion text as read at meeting) - Vote: 15 ayes, 0 no, 0 abstain (clerk reported "With 15 ayes, the vote passes") - Outcome: approved