The wheels are in motion to fill a Brookfield aldermanic district seat that’s sat vacant for eight weeks since an alderman resigned due to public outcry over multiple concerning LinkedIn posts he made referencing hate speech and violence against Muslims and others.
Applications will be accepted through July 13 to fill the aldermanic District 7 seat that was previously held by Alderman Kris Seals, who resigned April 21 just two weeks after winning reelection when he ran unopposed.
Under the process outlined on the city website, a five-member committee of aldermen, including acting mayor Gary Mahkorn, will review applications and make a recommendation to Common Council for its consideration. If appointed, the person would represent the 7th District for the remainder of the term, which runs through April 15, 2030, according to the city.
Some elected officials on the Common Council have already said they’d try to pursue a special election so residents can have a say in who will represent them for the next nearly four years instead of an appointed alderman.
Brookfield outlines a process for replacing 7th aldermanic district seat
Brookfield is addressing this vacancy similar to how it has in the past.
According to City Attorney Jenna Merten, the city posts the vacancy notice and receives applications. Then, the Legislative and Licensing Committee reviews the applications and interviews the applicants at a meeting.
The committee determines whether it will recommend an applicant to be appointed to the vacant position. If the committee decides to make a recommendation, then Common Council determines whether to appoint the recommended applicant.
Merten told the Journal Sentinel she isn’t aware of the council ever having a special election to replace a resigned alderman.
“For every appointment that has occurred in the past eight years, the appointment has been made for the remainder of the full term,” Merten said.
However, the Common Council hasn’t voted on or considered anything yet, and they could determine in a future meeting that they’d pursue a special election for the role, she confirmed. Some aldermen have already said they’d prefer an election.
The city will have a spring election April 6, 2027, amid a statewide race for a seat on the Wisconsin Supreme Court. Brookfield’s next scheduled election for the aldermanic leadership would be when terms end in April 2028 for half of the fourteen aldermanic seats for the Common Council. That election does not include the currently vacant seat, as Seals was just reelected in April 2026.
Interested applicants for seat have until July 13
Individuals who want to become the city’s next alderman must be a U.S. citizen, Wisconsin resident, a qualified elector of the City of Brookfield and a resident of the 7th Aldermanic District, according to the city.
District 7 includes the southeasternmost part of the city, including wards 19, 20 and 21.
It can be viewed on a map here.
No age limit exists for aldermen. Alderpersons make $9,911 annually, Merten said.
Those interested in applying for the position must submit a cover letter and resume to Sara Bruckman, the city clerk, by 5 p.m. on July 13.
Materials can be submitted in person at City Hall, 2000 N. Calhoun Road, during regular business hours or by email to cityclerk@ci.brookfield.wi.us.
Aldermen already eye possibility of a special election to give voters a say on Seals’ replacement
Common Council members have brought up Seals’ vacancy in recent meetings – including in a conversation about Mayor Steve Ponto’s absence and concerns of underrepresentation on the council as Mahkorn serves as acting mayor.
But the group has not officially considered the matter or confirmed any recommendations. Some aldermen say that while they want to fill the vacancy, they’d prefer to give voters a say on who will represent them when the current remainder of the term is nearly four years.
“I believe residents should have a more active role in choosing an alderman for a seat that’s nearly the entire term,” Ald. Eric Fugleberg said on his Facebook page. He said he will continue pursuing the possibility of putting the vacant seat on the ballot in April 2027.
Ald. Mike Hallquist also said on Facebook that he’d support an April 2027 election, and believes the Common Council should appoint someone to the vacancy until then.
Some residents feel the same. Spouses Christopher Hoffman and Margaret Nettesheim Hoffman live in District 1, but they’re concerned about filling the District 7 vacancy by appointment and not an election.
“It’s a reach towards oligarchical control,” Christopher Hoffman said. “They can then pretty much decide unilaterally who’s going to be sitting on the council and controlling the city. It’s right from the Trumpian playbook – consolidating and centralizing power.”
Nettesheim Hofffman sees the situation as a larger transparency issue in Brookfield’s government that’s indicative of “the political old guard’s fear that they’re losing power” as more residents vote for Democrats and embrace progressive ideals. In April, Ponto, who was endorsed by Republican groups and much of the Common Council, beat Hallquist, who was endorsed by Democrat groups and the Muslim Civic Alliance.
Why did Kris Seals resign from Brookfield’s Common Council?
Seals had made at least two dozen posts riddled with hate speech and violent calls to action on a LinkedIn account under his real name and real employer, according to screenshots obtained and reviewed by the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. In one post he wrote Islam is a “sick religion.” In another post, he referenced a need to “extinguish” those who observe the religion.
Seals initially defended the posts April 9 when approached by a reporter with WITI-TV (Channel 6), which first reported the issue and reported he deleted his account after their questioning.
Seals then refused to step down despite calls from advocates, residents and fellow elected officials to resign. The Wisconsin Muslim Civic Alliance, which called Seals’ rhetoric offensive and dangerous, organized a public petition calling for Seals’ resignation.
Seals ultimately did resign on April 21 and shared an emailed apology statement to the Muslim community via the city attorney.
“I spoke to a member of the Community over the weekend, and he educated me on the Community and their willingness to forgive,” he wrote. “I appreciate they are willing to forgive me for the rude statements I made.”
Seals identified himself in one post as a Brookfield alderman, and every post included his position and employer: customer service representative at Nolan Accounting Center.
Tim Nolan, owner of Nolan Accounting, told the Journal Sentinel in an email June 16 that the firm terminated Seals’ employment following an investigation and review of the situation.
“I was appalled and deeply disappointed when I learned about the inappropriate and abhorrent online comments made,” Nolan said. “His views do not reflect those of the company and our team, and our hearts go out to all who were impacted.”
Bridget Fogarty covers Brookfield, Wauwatosa, Elm Grove for the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. She can be reached at bfogarty@usatodayco.com.
This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Brookfield weighs next steps to fill Kris Seals’ vacant seat
Reporting by Bridget Fogarty, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel / Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Bridget Fogarty, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel | USA TODAY Network
