• 
• CLASS
• JOBS
• AUTO
• HOMES

Incumbents out on Elkhorn council

Photo

Jerry J. Anderson

Age: 47

Address: 341 S. Stonefield Road

Jobs: Home remodeling and new construction

Education: Elkhorn Area High School

Community service: None

Elected posts: None

Photo

Gary L. Payson

Age: 58

Address: 1229 Robincrest Lane

Job: Production planner and buyer for SPX in Delavan

Education: Wilmot High School, courses at various colleges.

Community service: Traffic control officer for Elkhorn Police Department, security supervisor for the Walworth County Agricultural Society and representative to the Tri-City Steering Committee

Elected posts: Served as alderman in the 1990s and again from 2007-09.

ELKHORN — Two city council incumbents lost in the spring election Tuesday, replaced by a political veteran and a newcomer.

Gary Payson defeated incumbent Gerald Norton by nine votes. Payson’s campaign message was that Norton was out of town too often and subsequently missed an unacceptable number of meetings.

Norton contended that he stayed in touch with city business and residents while traveling.

City Clerk Darlene Igl found that Norton had missed 11 of 48 regular and special city council meetings since he was sworn in April 21. That’s about 23 percent of the meetings.

Payson, a former alderman who had lost to Norton, won a two-year term in District 2. Salaries for Payson and Anderson this year are $3,840 with expense accounts of $105 per month. The district covers the southeast and south central areas of the city.

In District 1, Jerry Anderson in his first run for office handily beat incumbent Eric Messerschmidt, who was appointed to the council last summer to serve an unexpired term.

Anderson drew attention with his plan to close the city’s aging swimming pool and shift summer bathing to Elkhorn Lake at Babe Mann Park.

“I feel good about my victory, and I feel I can help the city,” Anderson said upon learning of the results. “I will bring another perspective to the board. I’d like to thank Eric for the time he spent on the board.

Anderson offers to bring a fresh mind and common sense to the table.

As for the pool, “I think it’s going to be too costly to try to resurrect that dinosaur. I do appreciate the people who came out to vote for alderman, and I’m proud to serve as their alderman.”