Less than a month after 27-year Danville alderman Steve Foster made his last appearance at a meeting, his replacement was sworn into office on Tuesday night.
Council members voted unanimously to seat Darren York to represent Ward 7, which is the north end of Danville. York is a senior rehabilitation counselor with the Illinois Department of Human Services and is a former employee of Aunt Martha’s Health and Wellness Center. Mayor Rickey Williams Jr. says that York is a member of the city’s Human Relations Commission, past president of the Danville Soccer Association and has been a part of several peace marches in the city.
York is a candidate on the April 6th ballot for a four-year term to replace Foster. He faces local attorney Kaylan Huber in the election.
Mayor Williams says he interviewed both York and Huber for the position, but he says York more closely represents the voters in Ward 7. He also says York’s appointment will allow voters to see if he is the right representative for them, adding that he did not think it would be correct to appoint a “shadow” alderman who would serve for only three months.
Meanwhile, Foster’s time as a public official will continue. Council members appointed him Tuesday night to serve on the Vermilion Regional Airport Authority. Foster previously served on the board until August 2018, when he resigned after it was discovered that he could not legally serve on the airport board and the city council at the same time. Foster’s term on the airport board will last through the end of 2025.
