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Wallsburg Council unanimously appoints Ron Horton to water system seat
Summary
The Wallsburg Town Council voted unanimously Feb. 6 to appoint Ron Horton to fill a midterm vacancy overseeing the town's water system; Horton, a retired plumber, said he will pursue required state certifications and the town will cover testing costs.
The Wallsburg Town Council unanimously appointed Ron Horton on Feb. 6 to fill a midterm vacancy as the council's member with responsibility for the town water system.
The appointment comes after the resignation of Wallsburg Town Council Member Troy Thompson, effective Jan. 16, 2025, and following an open application period that closed Feb. 3, 2025. The appointee will serve through Dec. 31, 2025; the seat will be on the ballot in the 2025 Wallsburg municipal election for a two-year term.
At a special meeting convened at 6:08 p.m., the council conducted a telephone interview with Ron Horton, who described his experience working as a plumber and supervising water-related projects. "I was a plumber, so I have experience with water and water pressures and how it works and just everything about water," Horton said during the interview. He told the council his experience includes supervising a project he estimated at about $27,000,000, when asked about project size.
Council members asked whether Horton holds state certifications for small systems operation and cross-connection control (backflow). Horton said he is not currently certified for either; he agreed to pursue certification for small systems within 90 days and said he is knowledgeable about backflow even though he is not certified. Council members told him the town will cover testing and materials costs associated with obtaining the certifications.
After the interview, the council took individual recorded votes. Council member Scott Larson voted yes; Council member Terry Issel voted yes; Council member Mary Piscitelli voted yes; the presiding official (mayor) recorded a yes vote. The presiding official announced the vote was unanimous and the council appointed Horton to the water-system council seat. The council said it will swear Horton in at its March meeting, scheduled for March 6, 2025.
The council noted that the appointed individual will serve until Dec. 31, 2025, and that the successful candidate may run in the 2025 municipal election; an elected candidate would take office Jan. 1, 2026, to complete the unexpired term through Dec. 31, 2027. The council did not take other substantive action during the special meeting, adjourning at 6:21 p.m.
Horton said he plans to pursue the certifications the council discussed and that he has the time to serve in the role. The council also indicated it will provide contact information and assistance to help him schedule any required testing.
