Eleven candidates have applied to Aurora Mayor Richard Irvin to be appointed to fill the soon-to-be-vacant 1st Ward aldermanic seat.
The seat is officially vacant Thursday, when Ald. Emmanuel Llamas said he would step down as alderman to spend more time caring for his ailing father.
While Llamas said he would step down officially Aug. 1, he has not attended council meetings since making his announcement earlier this month.
Irvin must appoint a new alderman to serve the remainder of the term. But while Llamas’ term is actually not up until 2027, election law says an appointed alderman must run at the next city election, which is in April 2025.
The group of candidates consists of nine men and two women, nine of whom live in the 60505 area of the ward, and two of whom live in the 60502 area of the ward.
All 11 of the candidates have gone through the first round of interviews with Irvin, according to a city news release.
They are: Dan Barreiro, an East Aurora school board member and retired city executive; Steve Banks, a neighborhood group leader; Tina Bohman, who served as the 1st Ward City Council member before Llamas, from 2013 to 2019, and also worked for the city; Donnell Collins, a retired photojournalist from The Beacon-News, a private photographer and educator; Jeffrey Donelson, a senior pastor and Army veteran; David Givens, a financial services professional; Ray Hull, a retired city executive and former East Aurora school board member; John Kunkel, a retired sales executive; Guadalupe Magana, a customer service professional; Hector Martinez, a construction superintendent and Army National Guard veteran; and Hugo Saltijeral, a non-profit executive.
Irvin will announce finalists by the end of this week, and he will present his recommendation to be the next 1st Ward alderman to the City Council at the next Committee of the Whole Meeting at 4 p.m., Aug. 6, at Aurora City Hall, 44 E. Downer Place.
Llamas, who was elected to a second term in 2023, announced his resignation earlier this month in a live-streamed press conference from City Hall.
He said he has to step down because he has become the primary care-giver for his father, who was diagnosed earlier this year with stage four stomach cancer.
Llamas had been under fire from some residents who said he had been living in a property he bought on the far West Side of town, instead of in the northeast side 1st Ward. Llamas has insisted that while he owns several properties, he was still living in the 1st Ward.
slord@tribpub.com