Janet Murphy, former village trustee and a runner-up in the March 2008 election, was recently appointed to replace Ken Zabriskie, deputy mayor of the Aurora Village Board.

Zabriskie had resigned abruptly from the board at its regular meeting on Sept.16 in protest of the board's exclusion from the decision to put a sheriff's substation in a Wells College-owned building in the village.

“I heavily endorse her,” Zabriskie said. “She's the best one for the position because she's very level-headed and thinks before she makes decisions.”

He encouraged Murphy to ask any questions, if he could help.

Zabriskie, a lifetime Aurora resident, said he resigned because he was tired of knocking his head against a wall, frustration at not being able to fulfill his obligation as a trustee in the face of “the college's getting what it wants.”

He believed he represented local residents with a local voice to keep an eye on things.

Since her appointment, Murphy has switched her focus from her former platform of parks and recreation to assume Zabriskie's area of responsibility, reporting on water and sewer issues.

“It's easy because Kurt Wilmot (village superintendent and waste water treatment operator) is such an expert,” Murphy said. “I'm very interested in being involved with the village. It's so important for the board to have a voice that's not at all connected with the college.”

The Aurora Village Board followed Mayor Tom Gunderson's recommendation at its Oct. 21 meeting and unanimously voted to appoint Murphy, an incumbent who had run for re-election last March.

Murphy, 40, a registered Democrat who ran independently on her Family Party line, is in her eighth year of teaching fourth grade at A.J. Smith Elementary School in Union Springs. She ran on a platform of being a candidate of balance, to include all voices in the community, describing herself as fair, level-headed, and open-minded.

March's election results included the re-election of George Farenthold and newcomer Lili MacCormick, who toppled Murphy for her seat. Farenthold's platform had endorsed the idea of a county sheriff's substation as one facet of a multipurpose Intergovernmental Business Center to be located in Aurora's commercial district. He is also married to Wells President, Lisa Marsh Ryerson.

Gunderson said he recommended Murphy because she was MacCormick's runner-up in the last open election and because she had already served a four-year term as village trustee.

“She has to go before a special election in March 2009,” Gunderson said, “in order to fill out the final year of his (Zabriskie's) unexpired term. She would run again in March 2010 if she wanted for a full four-year term.”

“I'm just interested in my community,” Murphy said. “So much has changed here and I was so wanting to be empowered.”

The mayoral position will also be up for grabs in 2010, as will Jim Chase's trusteeship.

“Some people are nervous about the mayoral race,” Zabriskie said, “There will be a likelihood of three positions.”

Asked if he would consider running again, he answered, “At this point in time, no. The election is another year away.”

He added that a lot of people have asked him about running again.

“Time will tell,” he said.

Staff writer Kathleen Barran can be reached at 253-5311 ext. 238 or kathleen.barran@lee.net