Rojas Withdraws from Village Board Race

Hugo Rojas is withdrawing his name from consideration as a write-in candidate for Village Board, citing a conflict with his work as an attorney.

Rojas became the fourth write-in candidate to throw his hat into the race for the two trustee seats that will be on the ballot April 5 when he filed the necessary paperwork at Village Hall on Feb. 10.

He said he learned Wednesday his candidacy could create a conflict with his work at the Milwaukee-based law firm of Gonzalez Saggio & Harlan. In an e-mail, he said the conflict would prevent him from carrying out his job and the responsibilities of trustee to the fullest potential.

“This is a very painful but necessary step for me professionally and for the good of the community,” he said.

Rojas, 41, said he plans to continue to be involved in community initiatives. He currently serves on the board for Milwaukee Kickers Soccer Club, the Rite Hite YMCA and is involved with the Whitefish Bay Soccer Club as a member of their Green Space Committee.

His wife Lori serves on the Parent Teacher Organization at Cumberland Elementary School. They have both been involved in the planning and recruitment of volunteers to help win the approval for, and construction of, the ice rink at Cahill Park.

In an earlier interview, Rojas said he would like to see the Village Board draw from the expertise of residents in creating a solution to the village’s storm water woes.

“Input of local residents will have to be sought before any decisions are made,” he said. “Top down solutions are not going to work.”

He also said he would like to adopt business-friendly policies to spur a revitalization in businesses on Silver Spring Drive. He also said he would like to see an improvement in Recreation Department programming.

The other three candidates in the race are Lauri Rollings, a senior staff attorney with Milwaukee Metropolitan Sewer District; William Demet, a Marquette University student and Andrew Martin, an English professor at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee.

The top two write-in candidates in the April 5 election each will win a trustee seat, assuming they are legally qualified. A special election would be held in the event of a tie.

The three candidates are running to replace two seats left vacant by Trustee Thomas Fehring, who will not seek another term, and Julie Siegel, who is running unopposed for the village president seat currently held by Kathleen Pritchard. Pritchard will not seek another term after nine years of service.