As Menomonee Falls faces a primary election in which one candidate has dropped out, a resident is requesting the village re-examine the way in which trustees are elected to the board.
A primary will be held Feb. 16 for trustee seat 4, as there are three candidates on the ballot: Incumbent Trustee Michael McDonald, former Village President Jefferson Davis, and Scott Krause.
During a Jan. 30 interview, Krause said he was dropping out of the race for personal reasons and he recommended that anyone who was going to vote for him should vote for McDonald instead.
The situation is one instance of why the village should reconsider how trustees are elected, resident Randy Melchert stated.
“This primary should force the Village Board to act. With the withdrawal of a candidate, this primary is not only unnecessary but meaningless,” Melchert said in an email response to a reporter.
Prior to 2003, trustees were elected in a format in which voters cast ballots for three open trustee seats, with the top three vote-getters joining the board. Under the format, up to six people could run without a primary being needed.
Voters supported an advisory referendum in the spring 2003 election which called for having numbered seats for which individuals would run. Under the situation, three people running for one numbered seat could force a primary. The board approved a change in the format later in 2003.
For several months on his blog, Melchert has advocated returning to the previous method of electing trustees, citing the cost of the primary.  In addition to the cost, Melchert also noted that how people run for the board has changed.
“Before 2004, people ran ‘for’ the Village Board. Starting in 2004, people ran against trustees. As such, races become unnecessarily polarized as we have seen over the years,” Melchert stated. He further explained that “candidates who want to run 'for' the board, end up getting caught running 'against' people. They have no personal animosity towards the others, but they end up in unnecessarily polarizing races.”  
Melchert has submitted a letter to the village asking the board to reconsider the issue. Village President Randy Newman said he has received the letter and an indicated he would support an advisory referendum to get residents views on the issue.
—By Thomas J. McKillen, Managing Editor