For Immediate Release – February 6, 2023
Hermantown Swears in Fifth City Councilor
Ellie Jones fills the seat left vacant with Grant Hauschild’s departure.
Hermantown, Minn. – Ellie Jones was sworn in as the newest member of the Hermantown City Council Monday. Jones joins as the fifth and final member of Hermantown’s City Council following an application and interview process necessitated by Grant Hauschild’s election as a Minnesota State Senator in November of 2022.
Hermantown’s City Council gained two new members in that same election, as Brian LeBlanc and Andy Hjelle garnered the most votes in a four-candidate race. The duo replaced Gloria Nelson, who chose not to run in 2022, and Natalie Peterson, who resigned in late 2022 as she moved out of Hermantown.
“We are excited not only to have a full council now but also to have a strong mix of experienced elected officials and newcomers,” said John Mulder, Hermantown City Administrator. “We have had strong leadership on our council for many years, no matter who filled those seats, and I am certain we will feel the same way about Ellie.”
Jones earned selection from a six-candidate process involving applications to the position and an interview with the current city council.
“It is an exciting time in our community. We’ve had continued growth as families and businesses choose to make Hermantown their hometown, and we received resounding support from voters for the Community Recreation Initiative and its projects,” said Mayor Wayne Boucher. “Ellie, with her background in business and as a Hermantown parent, will be a key addition to our council as we move forward.”
Along with Boucher, Jones, LeBlanc, and Hjelle, John Geissler rounds out the Hermantown City Council. Boucher and Geissler have served in an elected capacity in Hermantown for more than a dozen years.
Jones will complete the remainder of Hauschild’s term, which runs through the end of 2024.
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For more information, contact: Joe Wicklund, Communications & Community Engagement Director, City of Hermantown, at [email protected] or 218.729.3614.