Galesburg Ward 3 residents interested in serving on the City Council can apply starting New Year’s Day for the alderman seat vacated by Evan Miller.
Miller announced his resignation earlier this week, citing a move outside ward boundaries. The vacancy marks the second council opening in four months.
Mayor Peter Schwartzman will accept applications from Jan. 1 to Jan. 14, 2026, then nominate a replacement for council approval, aiming for mid-January.
Schwartzman praised Miller’s roughly 2.5 years of service, noting the first year was tumultuous but things calmed in the past 18 months.
“In the end a lot was accomplished and Mr. Miller did a lot for his ward,” Schwartzman said.
He said the next Ward 3 representative should have a history of community engagement and connection, plus a working knowledge of city government and current events.
As with previous appointments, the process will be application-based.
“I will let those interested apply and based on those applications I will decide who is best fit for the position,” Schwartzman said.
This is his fourth time filling a vacancy. On takeaways from past processes, he said:
“This is my fourth time doing this. There is no special formula. I just hope good people are willing to step up to serve their community. The more applicants the better the field and the more likely we will have a successful person serve for the remainder of Mr. Miller’s term.”
Recent turnover means the council will soon have four members with less than a year of experience – a shift from past decades when many served 10 years or more. They include Ward 1’s Angelica Mangieri (appointed in September after Bradley Hix’s resignation), Wendel Hunigan (Ward 2), and Greg Saul (Ward 6), both seated after the April election, plus the forthcoming Ward 3 appointee.
Schwartzman called it a younger council in terms of tenure but pointed to the experienced city staff and administration for continuity.
“This is very important in easing the transition and maintaining continuity and our positive direction,” he said.
Under city ordinance, Schwartzman has 60 days from the vacancy to nominate a replacement for Miller, with the council required to approve within 30 days. If the first nominee is rejected, a second is proposed with another 30-day window; if both fail, he can appoint temporarily from the two candidates until approval or the next election.
