A sitting trustee has challenged the Western Property Owners' Association's selection of John Watras for mayor in a surprising turn of events at Tuesday's annual resident electors' meeting.
Patch has confirmed that Laurence "Larry" Quinn submitted a petition with 16 signatures to officially challenge Watras for the seat, according to WPOA director Maureen Traxler.
"I suppose the WPOA will be having a runoff election also two weeks from today," she said.
A WPOA member who attended Tuesday's meeting said association president Tom Whalen was unaware of Quinn's intended challenge prior to the meeting, telling Patch, "Tom's comment was that the group witnessed democracy in action and will initiate plans for a WPOA election."
Watras was also unaware of Quinn's intentions. "I was selected by the WPOA and I've served them well. I've served the whole village well," he told Patch shortly after the challenge was made Tuesday night. "At the end of the day, I was selected the same way Mr. [Robert] Bolebruch was.
"Mr. Quinn is stretching because he's really on the outside looking in. I admire the fact that he's a volunteer fireman and that he works with the Board of Education but he's just never really supported anything of the West and didn't listen to the people. The people have spoken and they want me and Mr. Bolebruch."
Quinn could not be reached for comment.
This is a breaking news story. Patch will update this story as more information becomes available.
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