Mayor Roach interviewing candidates to replace council member who resigned
Three residents in Ward 5 have expressed an interest in serving on the O’Fallon City Council, replacing twice-elected Alderman Christopher Monroe, who has resigned.
Mayor Herb Roach said he will be interviewing the three candidates next week.
“I hope to submit my recommendation to the city council at our June 3rd meeting,” he said.
The deadline for applications was on May 17.
State law requires that the mayor forward a replacement to the council within 60 days after the vacancy occurs. The council then has 30 days to approve the appointment.
There are no requirements in the state law on how the mayor selects the replacement. The term to be filled would end in April 2025.
“There are a lot of O’Fallon citizens in Ward 5 that would do a great job on the council,” Roach said.
Monroe resigned because he moved, but said he’d like to return.
“I resigned my position as alderman due to me and my family relocating to another ward in O’Fallon,” he said. “I plan on running in Ward 1, when I am eligible upon completion of my house.”
Monroe was first appointed to the seat in January 2019, then elected that April, and again in 2023.
After serving in the United States Marine Corps, he moved to O’Fallon in 1997. He is the Midwest regional sales manager for Echo Incorporated, which manufactures outdoor power equipment and tools. He is also in a community liaison position as director of varsity football team operations at O’Fallon Township High School. He and his wife Jennifer have two daughters.
Prior to being an alderman, he served on the Central School Board , including as president. He is also on the board of Right Turn Ministries and has been a youth softball coach.
“I would like to thank all the residents of Ward 5 for their support over the years,” Monroe said.
The other Ward 5 alderman is Aaron Hudson, who ran unopposed in April 2023 for the seat that Gwen Randolph held, who was first appointed in 2018.
Ward 5 is the western-most area of O’Fallon, which includes St. Ellen Mine and is bracketed by Interstate 64, Old Collinsville Road, and Frank Scott Parkway East.
O’Fallon has seven wards, with two aldermen representing each on the council, for a total of 14.
O’Fallon’s ward boundaries can be found at http://ofallon.maps.arcgis.com/home/webmap/viewer.html?webmap=3bf535e5c0444be3be3a959346fd56af.
In 2022, the ward map was readjusted to reflect a 14.1% increase in the city’s population in the 2020 U.S. Census, but it did not alter the council’s make-up or affect aldermen currently serving.
The 2020 census recorded that 32,289 people live in O’Fallon, which was a growth of 4,008 residents and the highest gain in Southern Illinois.
