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Jorgensen elected council president; Allen chosen vice president at Racine organizational meeting
Summary
At an April organizational meeting of the City of Racine Common Council, Ald. Jorgensen was elected council president (9 votes to 5, one abstention) and Ald. Allen was elected vice president (9 votes). President Jorgensen immediately announced committee assignments.
Ald. Jorgensen was elected council president at the City of Racine Common Council’s organizational meeting in April after the council conducted secret ballots and the clerk read the results aloud. The clerk reported 9 votes for Jorgensen, 5 for Ald. Pabon and one abstention, meeting the majority threshold required for election.
Jorgensen framed her bid around transparency, equity and giving members adequate time and information before major votes. "Nobody here should ever be asked to make a decision that they don't feel like they have all of the information they need to make that decision correctly," Jorgensen said in her remarks to colleagues after being nominated.
Ald. Pabon, the other nominee, said his candidacy was grounded in his long ties to Racine and a commitment to collaboration. "This is not about positions. It's about commitment," Pabon told the council.
The council also elected Ald. Allen as vice president following separate balloting. The clerk read successive tallies and reported that Allen received a majority (9 votes) and was declared vice president. Ald. Davis and Ald. Pabon both spoke as candidates for the office; Davis emphasized leadership grounded in experience and equity, saying the council needs "leadership that listens deeply, that challenges respectfully, and that stands for firm integrity."
Following the elections, President Jorgensen announced standing committee appointments. Jorgensen recommended membership for key committees as follows: Public Safety & Licensing — Ald. Pete, Ald. Frasier, Ald. Davis, Ald. Weiss and Ald. Kelly; Finance & Personnel — Ald. Mack, Ald. Land, Ald. Horton, President Jorgensen and Ald. Hodges; Public Works — Ald. Pabon, Ald. DeMarque, Ald. Harmon, Ald. Allen and Ald. Weidner. Jorgensen said those appointments will be read into the agenda at the council’s next meeting.
The meetings used paper ballots distributed by the clerk’s office and included some remote votes coordinated through the clerk. The council adjourned after completing organizational business.
Actions recorded in the meeting: the election of the council president (result: Jorgensen elected) and the election of the vice president (result: Allen elected).
