Batavia City Council members interviewed and selected a candidate to fill the vacant 7th Ward seat.

Council members selected Bob White in a closed session discussion immediately after he and five other candidates were interviewed in open session during a Sept. 30 Special Committee of the Whole meeting.

Mayor Jeff Schielke will swear in White at the next City Council meeting, on Oct. 6, when he will begin serving immediately.

While Schielke holds the right to appoint a replacement on his own and seek confirmation from the aldermen, for years he has used a system in which the appointee is selected by Council members.

Tom Connelly, Kim Hansen, Linda Hatfield, Bob McQuillen and Mike Costanzo were the other candidates interviewed at the committee meeting. Each made an opening statement before being asked the same questions.

White is from the Chicago suburbs originally, but his family lived in Minnesota for seven years before moving to Batavia 17 months ago.

White is a sales engineer, dealing in machine parts for industrial equipment, and has two children in Batavia schools. He serves on the Active Transportation Advisory Committee and said as an alderperson, he would be a champion for parks and recreation.

White said his parents are both public servants in their communities, so his reason for applying was because of his pride in Batavia and to follow in their footsteps.

“I’ve only been here a short time but I do have a lot of pride for Batavia,” White said. “I would come in with an open mind.”

White described himself as an optimist. He identified his top priorities as keeping Batavia’s small-town feel and existing local businesses as the city grows and expands.

Each candidate was asked how they would use social media to engage with the community, how they would handle concerns and feedback from the public and conflict within a team.

White said he recently started moderating the Active Transportation Commission’s Facebook page where he deals with feedback from the community, and said staying calm is key to dealing with conflict.

“I work through conflict on a daily basis,” White said. “As inflammatory things are being thrown about, it’s always important to be calm and take a step back.”

Council members were in closes session for less than 15 minuted before coming back to open session and announcing White was selected to be the next 7th Ward alderperson.

The 7th Ward seat has been vacant since Sarah Vogelsinger’s resignation last month due to family matters and time constraints. Vogelsinger had served on the Council since 2021 and her term was set to end in 2029.

Once appointed, White will serve until the April 2027 election, when he would have to run for reelection to keep the 7th Ward seat.

Ward 7 is on the west side of Batavia, stretching from West Fabyan Parkway on the north side, south to Orchard Road. It encompasses everything west of Randall Road as well as portions east of Randall Road and south of McKee Street.