Politics & Government
Mayor's Vacated Ward 1 Seat Remains Empty
With a Ward 1 seat left vacant by Alderman Ralph Sidebottom's move to the Lake Saint Louis mayor's office, will Lake Saint Louis be echoing last year's controversy in Wentzville?
At last week's meeting of the Lake Saint Louis Board of Aldermen, newly sworn-in mayor Ralph Sidebottom made his choice to fill his vacated Ward 1 seat.
But some of the board would like some more time to consider the matter.
Sidebottom's choice was Gary Torlina, a 10-year veteran of the Lake Saint Louis Planning and Zoning Commission.
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"I searched within Ward 1 for whom I thought was the most experienced and qualified person for the job. My final decision was to appoint Gary Torlina," Sidebottom told Patch.
Ward 3's John Pellerito, and Ward 2's Kathy Schweikert and Karen Vennard asked for additional time to consider the nomination. Those three voted to table the appointment, while Ward 1's Tony Zito and Ward 3's Richard Morris voted against tabling the appointment.
Sidebottom told Patch that there was a large crowd at city hall to support Torlina's appointment.
The City of Wentzville experienced a similar issue last year when Nick Guccione vacated his seat as alderman after being elected mayor. His first appointment failed to win board approval, and the seat was empty for five months.
READ MORE: Guccione's Ward 3 Appointment: 'I Will Stand My Ground On This'
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