Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Elections topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Wausau council appoints Aaron Greiner to fill District 5 seat after two rounds of voting
Summary
After interviews and two ballots, the Wausau Common Council appointed Aaron Greiner to serve the remainder of the District 5 term. The council adopted an elimination procedure before the vote and rejected a request to play a city-produced introductory video for a candidate.
The Wausau Common Council appointed Aaron Greiner to fill the District 5 aldermanic vacancy after a two-round vote Tuesday, Oct. 28. The council required a majority of six votes; after the first ballot produced no majority, the member receiving the fewest votes was removed and a runoff was held.
The appointment followed a procedural discussion the council held before candidate introductions, including whether to allow a city-produced candidate video and how to handle voting rounds. A motion to permit the video failed 1–9; the council then voted 9–1 to eliminate the lowest vote-getter between ballots, a method the council said would shorten the process and mirror a primary-style reduction to two candidates.
Three residents — Aaron Greiner, James Wodinsky and Steven Schmidt — each spoke for three minutes about their qualifications. Wodinsky received five votes on the first ballot; Greiner three; Schmidt two. Under the elimination rule, Schmidt was removed and the council held a runoff between Wodinsky and Greiner. In the second round Greiner received six votes and was declared the winner. The clerk announced Greiner will serve through April 21, 2026, and the mayor administered the oath of office.
Council members who proposed and debated the voting procedure said they wanted a fair, transparent process. Alder Rasmussen urged caution about using city-produced assets to promote a candidate, citing a 2020 incident involving city material used in an election announcement. Supporters of the elimination rule said it would avoid repeated rounds of voting that could extend the meeting.
Greiner said he has read applicable statutes and meeting packets and pledged to serve the district with integrity and a willingness to learn city processes. The council did not take other related action at the meeting.
Officials and participants: Aaron Greiner, candidate; James Wodinsky, candidate; Steven Schmidt, candidate; Alder Rasmussen (council member); Alder Lukens (council member); Clerk (city staff).
Votes at a glance: First ballot — James Wodinsky 5, Aaron Greiner 3, Steven Schmidt 2; runoff — Aaron Greiner 6, James Wodinsky 4. The council adopted the elimination method 9–1 and rejected the candidate video 1–9.
Background: The council followed its packet guidance and a memo from the clerk establishing the procedure for candidate introductions and voting. The city attorney and mayor previously reviewed the requested use of city-produced media; the council voted not to allow the video in order to avoid the appearance of using city assets to advantage one candidate.
