Quance Chosen To Fill City Council VacancyDiane Quance was selected to fill the Warsaw City Council District 5 seat Wednesday night after five rounds of voting.
Quance, a guidance counselor at Warsaw Community High School, was selected during a caucus to replace Dan Hampton.
Besides Quance, candidates for the seat included Bruce Woodward, Carl Sowers, Sean Boylan and Troy Turley.
Quance's duties will begin Jan. 1, and end Dec. 31, 2011. She will be sworn in at the Jan. 3 city council meeting.
Hampton was elected Nov. 2 to serve as prosecuting attorney. Hampton's duties as prosecuting attorney begin Jan. 1.
Hampton made a statement prior to the caucus.
"I would first like to thank you all for demonstrating the initiative and commitment to serve our great community, by submitting your candidacy to fill the vacancy on the Warsaw City Council," Hampton said.
Each candidate had three minutes each to speak about why they were qualified to fill the seat.
Quance said she believes one of the primary roles of a city council member is to listen carefully to the people she represents.
"This means never going into a situation with my mind already made up, but asking questions, clarifying, seeking out information and then making the best informed decision I can make for the people I represent and for the City of Warsaw," Quance said.
Hampton and Warsaw Mayor Ernie Wiggins said Quance will serve the city well.
"She had quite a field to beat, all of the candidates were qualified, but she is qualified," Hampton said.
Wiggins said he is looking forward to serving on the council with Quance, and said she will serve the District 5 residents well.
Precinct committee members Warren Tatter, Josh Spangle, Christy Polk and Jeremiah Heierman voted during the caucus.
Steve Foster, Kosciusko County GOP treasurer, and Marsha McSherry, Kosciusko County GOP vice chairwoman, served as vote counters.
During the first, second and third voting rounds, Turley received two votes, Boylan received one vote and Quance received one vote.
According to the caucus rules, if no candidate receives a majority of the votes cast for a candidate on the first ballot, then a second ballot is conducted. If no candidate receives a majority of the votes cast for a candidate on the second ballot, the candidate with the fewest votes is eliminated, beginning with a third ballot and on each following ballot thereafter until a majority is reached.
During the third round of voting, Sower's and Woodward's names dropped off the ballot.
During the fourth and fifth rounds of voting, Quance received two votes, and Turley received two votes.
After the fifth round of voting, since there was a tie, Kosciusko County Republican Chairman broke the tie and selected Quance to fill the seat.
