NEW MAYOR--The Antigo Common Council selected Sam Hardin as Antigo’s new mayor Wednesday night, casting a unanimous vote for the veteran city alderman. Applicants for Hardin’s vacant Second Ward position will be accepted until July 3, with a decision by the council at the July 9 regular monthly meeting. |
Hardin is unanimous pick as mayor June 26, 2008 Veteran alderman Sam Hardin, who has represented the city’s Second Ward for 12 years, was elected mayor for the city of Antigo by members of the Common Council Wednesday.
The appointment takes effect immediately, with Hardin serving until the April, 2009 election. He replaces Mike Matousek, who resigned last month to accept an out-of-state job.
The appointment came on a unanimous ballot, with no opposition.
“I’m glad to have everyone’s support,” Hardin said. “I hope we can keep the progress we have going.”
Hardin, a native of Marinette County, is retired from the United States Department of Agriculture, where he was in charge of community and business programs for the Farmers Home Administration in Alaska for 10 years.
He moved to Antigo in 1995 following his retirement and was elected to the Common Council a year later.
Hardin has had mayoral aspirations in the past, most recently running for the post in 2002. He was defeated in a primary race. Mike Monson eventually defeated incumbent Miles Stanke for the job.
The new mayor said that he plans regular office hours at City Hall, with the days and times to be announced in the next few days.
While Hardin’s appointment came smoothly and quickly, there was a great deal of acrimony among aldermen in how best to fill the Second Ward vacancy.
An attempt by aldermen Joe Kapusta and Dave Morse to hold off a decision until late in July was defeated on a 5-4 vote, with aldermen deciding instead to accept applications through July 3 with a decision at the regularly scheduled meeting on July 9.
Morse questioned the rather quick action.
“I will not take part in this vote. I just refuse to vote on this,” he said. “This is simply a manipulation of the council to ensure a continuation of the status quo.”
Kapusta and Ben Eder voted against the schedule.
In other matters, aldermen approved the new Tax Incremental Finance District No. 6, to be located in the area of a new northside hotel development, along with a broad outline of projects the captured tax funds could finance.
The small district basically includes largely fallow land that will be used by the new hotel along with vacant acreage just to the east of North Star Lanes. The eastern boundary is Charlotte Court and southern boundary is Prosser Place.
The project plan projects approximately $6.5 million in new value in the district over its anticipated 20-year life.
The plan also lists $2.9 million in potential projects that the extra tax dollars generated by those increases in valuation would fund. They include:
—Acquisition, demolition and relocation: $100,000.
—Site preparation: $50,000.
—Prosser Place reconstruction, $350,000.
—Hotel site utilities and broadband: $250,000.
—Charlotte Court trail development: $300,000.
—Other public infrastructure improvements: $100,000.
—Development incentives and reimbursements: $300,000.
—Environmental remediation: $50,000.
—administration: $100,000.
The plan also includes a $500,000 payout to TIF No. 3, which encompasses the industrial park on the city’s northwest side. That district has not been producing adequate cash flow.
Morse and Kapusta attempted, and failed, to remove any mention of trail development from the project.
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