Joliet City Council Does Not Confirm Nominee for Vacancy

The Joliet City Council did not confirm Mayor Bob O’Dekirk’s candidate to fill the current vacancy left open by the resignation of Don Dickinson. Todd Wooten was nominated for the council’s approval on Tuesday evening. Wooten has served on the Fire and Police Commission for the city of Joliet since 2015. The debate, which was contentious and argumentative between several members of the council, lasted more than an hour. The vote which was 4-3 saw Councilmembers Pat Mudron, Mike Turk, Sherri Reardon and Bettye Gavin voting against Mr. Wooten’s appointment to the council while Larry Hug, Jan Quillman and Terry Morris voted in favor of the nominee.Mayor O’Dekirk told WJOL last week that he would be nominating someone who would not be running in the spring election. He also stated that the upcoming vote on Joliet’s water source as well as a possible vote on a new city manager as the main reasons for nominating someone so soon. This is the second appointment that Bob O’Dekirk has made as mayor as he previously appointed Brooke Hernandez-Brewer to fill the seat of Jim MacFarland back in 2016.