Cherokee City Council seeks appointment for Ward 2 vacancy

The Cherokee City Council plans to fill the Ward 2 vacancy left by the resignation of council member Dave Wilberding, effective June 26.

The Council plans to fill the vacancy by appointment during a City Hall meeting on Tuesday, Aug. 13, at 6 p.m. The appointed individual will serve until the next scheduled city election. Any residents interested in the position are encouraged to submit a letter of interest to the city clerk by 10:30 a.m. Friday, Aug 9. 

Citizens of Cherokee have the right to petition for a special election to fill the vacancy instead of an appointment. A valid petition must be filed with the City Clerk within 14 days of either the publication of an official notice or the appointment, whichever comes later.

Wilberding resigned last week after the council voted down his motion to grant Cherokee Parks Superintendent Duane Mummert a 2.48% raise. Wilberding had suggested that Mummert receive an additional salary increase above the percentage offered to all department heads for the upcoming fiscal year several weeks ago. He described Mummert’s work ethic and expertise when promoting the additional increase, which would have set his salary at $77,000. 

Mummert, who had held the position for 38 years, subsequently resigned his post in protest. He told the Chronicle Times that “it came down to the principle of it” regarding his decision to leave city employment.  

Wilberding and council member Tim Wych voted “aye” on the motion at the June 25 meeting; however, it was voted down when the other council members voted no. He released a statement to the Cherokee Chronicle Times on Friday morning, which said, “If my belief is strong enough, I have no problem backing it up with actions. After reading the article about Duane’s and my resignation in the paper, I’ve decided to take the High Road and issue no further comments.”

When asked for additional information, Cherokee City Hall declined to comment.

*This article has been edited and corrected. Previously, it reported that Wilberding had motioned for Mummert to receive an 8% raise, not 2.78%, and indicated that he was the sole aye vote. This was incorrect, and the Chronicle Times sincerely apologizes for the error. A correction will be forthcoming in our next print edition.

**The Chronicle Times has been asked to reiterate that Mummert resigned from his post. There has been some confusion about his separation of employment from the City of Cherokee, and we would like to stress that he was not terminated.