Two people have been appointed to fill vacancies on Jacksonville City Council.
Rob Thomas, owner of DTE Technologies, will represent Ward 1. The ward encompasses downtown and the northeast part of town. He said he was told by Erin White-Williams, a longtime friend, that she was resigning, so he told Mayor Andy Ezard he was interested.
Thomas will fill the vacancy through May 2027. He said he plans to run in the election next year to keep his seat.
“I can represent Ward 1, not only the city of Jacksonville, but help the interest of Ward 1,” Thomas said. “The square is a a vital part of Ward 1, and it needs to be protected and preserved with all the great work that the business owners and building owners have done.”
Mark Sorrill, who retired after a career as a senior designer for Benton Engineering, will represent Ward 5 through May 2029. He will fill a vacancy created by the departure of Alderman Don Cook. The ward is part of the far southwest side of Jacksonville.
He cited his friendship with Ezard and his long time working for the city through Benton as the reason behind the appointment.
“The city of Jacksonville was one of my main clients and my expertise was basically water and wastewater,” Sorrill said.
Some of the biggest projects in Jacksonville that Sorrill helped with were the city’s new water plant and wastewater treatment plant.
Council approved the appointments unanimously during Monday’s meeting.