LOUDONVILLE — President Pro Tempore of Loudonville Village Council Cathy Lance took the oath of office Monday evening, leaving her council seat up for grabs.
Former mayor Jason Van Sickle resigned last month, effective March 1. He served as mayor since 2021. He said he had been mulling resignation for a while, but it was officially solidified a few weeks ago after a major health scare.
“I sacrificed time with my wife and kids to serve the community. It was time for me to move on to the next chapter,” he said.
Lance has served on council since 2018 when council appointed her to fill a vacancy. Loudonville voters re-elected her to that seat in 2021 and again in 2025.
That leaves her seat open to any Loudonville resident who wants it, and Lance told council there are already two people interested in the seat.
“In the past we’ve had interested parties come in and we’ve talked to them after, and then made a decision,” Lance told council, which agreed on that format for this appointment.
Council will interview any person interested in filling the seat during executive session after the March 16 meeting.
A complicated change of leadership
But the length of that term could be brief.
Lance will only serve as mayor until the day after the November general election, when the village will have elected a new mayor.
Typically government office appointments serve the rest of the term, which in the case of mayor would be until Dec. 31, 2027, but this change of power is different.
“Where the vacancy is caused by elevation to the office of mayor, the appointed council member serves only for the period the president pro tempore holds the office of mayor,” Village Solicitor Thom Gilman said. “So, until the next regular municipal election is held.”
However, Lance is considering running for mayor, and if she does, and is elected to the position, then the person appointed to fill her council seat would serve the end of her term.
So, Loudonville voters will elect a new mayor at the November election.
Lance’s council term ends Dec. 31, 2029.
Lance asked if interested persons could submit any relevant materials, such as a resume, to Fiscal Officer Jenny Wade via email at loudonvillevillage@neohio.twcbc.com or by dropping them off at the village office.
Her vacancy also requires council to select a new president pro tempore, which the now five-member panel failed to do at the Monday meeting.
Bill Huffman nominated Tom Young to serve as president because of his 12-year tenure on council.
“There’s nobody else sitting here that has the experience he has on the council,” Huffman said.
Newly-elected councilman Shawn Wade nominated Matt Armstrong.
After a period of awkward silence, with no council member offering to second either nomination, Gilman told council they could wait to elect a president at a later meeting.
“You’re not required to have one appointed tonight,” Gilman said. “You should have one one for obvious reasons, but if you can’t reach a consensus tonight, I’m not saying you have to, we could continue on, we could revisit the issue at the next meeting.
“Obviously, if we add another council member, then that will bring somebody else into the process to help with breaking ties.”
