Updated: Deadline for School Board, Common Council Candidates is Today

UPDATED: 10:25 a.m. Jan. 3

There will be a shakeup on the where as of this week, the number of non-candidates equaled the number of candidates.

Both Julie Rome and Audrey Ellison, two longtime board members up for re-election, have filed non-candidacy papers and will not seek another term.

Rome, who has been a board member for the last 12 years, including nine as the board’s clerk, said it was a difficult decision, but a new job would have made it difficult for her to execute her duties as a School Board member

Rome said helping the district build a new high school was one of her highlights as a board member, but the annual handing out of diplomas also ranked high.

“It is something only other members will ever understand,” Rome said. “You might know that child and see how far they have come and now are about to start their great life.

“I recently was at a function and had a student come up to me and say how grateful he was to have gone through the district. He now works in Madison and said that I handed him his diploma. It was great to see and talk to him, and find out that our teachers made him prepared for his job. At that moment it made it worth all the stress – yes, there is at times – and joys you get doing this as a job.”

Rome added she was honored to serve the taxpayers and children of the city and worked alongside the best professionals in the business, from board members to teachers to administrators to volunteers.

Editor’s note: Greenfield Patch hopes to catch up with longtime board member Audrey Ellison after the new year.

Meanwhile, incumbent Rick Moze has filed his candidacy papers, as has one challenger: , a frequent attendee of city and school board meetings.

Update: Greenfield Patch learned former board member Mike Gierl turned in his candidacy papers late last week, givingthe race three candidates vying for three spots, as of Tuesday morning.

Candidates in all local elections have until 5 p.m. Jan. 3 to file their candidacy papers. So, what would have happened if only Moze and Cich had run for the three vacant seats?

“The most likely scenario would be a write-in candidate would get the third seat as it would only take someone getting the most write-in votes,” said Erica Wendelberger, Executive Assistant to the Greenfield Superintendent. “If the write-in candidate refused or was not a resident, then Chapter 17 provisions kick in which under our policies involve the Board accepting applications and appointing someone.”

Lack of challengers in other races

In other local elections, all three City of Greenfield alderpersons up for re-election - Karl Kastner (Third District), Pam Akers (Fourth District) and Shirley Saryan (Fifth District) – and have announced they are running again. As of Dec. 28, Kastner and Saryan had filed their nominations papers but Akers had not. (Update: As of Jan. 3, all three incumbents had filed the necessary paperwork).

No challengers have emerged for the Common Council seats.

The race remains relatively quite as well with two people vying for two seats: incumbent Mike Clarizio and challenger Quin Brunette. Former board president.

In addition, two Milwaukee County Board Supervisors with Greenfield constituents are up for re-election and have filed papers to run for another four-year term: District 11 Supervisor Mark Borkowski and District 17 Supervisor Joe Sanfelippo.

According to the Milwaukee County website, both incumbents have filed their candidacy papers, and neither has a challenger, as of Dec. 23.