Committee of the Whole appoints Jake Schware as District 4 alderman after interviews

MUSKEGO, Wis. — Following interviews with three candidates, the City of Muskego Committee of the Whole appointed Jake Schware to fill the District 4 alderman vacancy on Jan. 23. Mayor Rick Petalski announced the result after a written ballot, saying, “Jake, congratulations. You’ve been appointed.”

The selection followed individual interviews with candidates who outlined their experience and reasons for applying. Ashley Metersheim emphasized leadership from three years as an HOA president and running an in‑home daycare; she told council members she expected a 10–15 hour weekly commitment and described her outreach methods, including a neighborhood Facebook group and door‑to‑door engagement. Lynn Cummings pointed to a career with the Waukesha School District, a degree in public policy and administration and work migrating meeting materials online using BoardDocs.

Schware, who said he has lived in Muskego for four years, described an engineering and problem‑solving background and said he would prioritize listening to residents. “I am proud to live in this town,” he said during his introduction; he told the council he expects to spend about 10 hours a week on alderman duties.

Mayor Petalski described the appointment process to the candidates and council before voting: each alderman asked two questions, follow‑ups were permitted, and a successful appointee must receive at least four votes. The council used written ballots for the selection; the transcript does not record the numeric vote tally or the names linked to particular votes.

Council members said the formal appointment will be memorialized by resolution at the next common council meeting. Petalski said the appointee will be sworn in before Feb. 1 so the new alderman can assume duties on that date.

The panel thanked all three candidates for applying and noted the city election in April 2025 as the public’s opportunity to approve or replace the appointee. The Committee of the Whole adjourned at 6:23 p.m.

Details recorded in the meeting transcript show the process was governed by the open meetings law (notice posted Jan. 19, 2024) and that aldermen discussed time commitments, constituent outreach and recusal rules if conflicts arise. The transcript contains no formal vote tally.