Litchfield Council Appoints Chris Dexheimer to Fill Ward 4 Vacancy

Article Summary: The Litchfield City Council voted 6-0 on Sept. 3 to appoint Chris Dexheimer to the unexpired Ward 4 term of Ray Kellenberger, who Mayor Jacob Fleming said stepped down for health reasons. Dexheimer was sworn in immediately by City Clerk Kerry Hopkins and voted on every subsequent item of the meeting.

Ward 4 Appointment Key Points:

Dexheimer was one of seven residents who volunteered for the vacancy after the city advertised it publicly.

Mayor Fleming and Alderperson Robert Garcia conducted interviews of the applicants.

The appointment is temporary; Fleming said Ward 4 voters will choose candidates for two separate council seats at the upcoming election — one four-year term and one two-year term.

Dexheimer abstained from the three housekeeping votes taken immediately after her swearing-in and voted aye on all subsequent items.

LITCHFIELD — The Litchfield City Council on Thursday, Sept. 3, 2026, appointed Chris Dexheimer to fill the unexpired Ward 4 term of Ray Kellenberger, filling a vacancy that Mayor Jacob Fleming said opened when Kellenberger unexpectedly stepped down for health reasons.

Alderperson Robert Garcia made the motion, seconded by Alderperson Bert Holloway. The roll call was 6-0, with Alderpersons Sara Zumwalt, Dwayne Gerl, Robbin Huffman, Joshua Hughes, Garcia and Holloway voting aye. Alderperson Marilyn Sisson was absent. Dexheimer was sworn in by City Clerk Kerry Hopkins immediately after the vote.

Seven Applicants and a Public Call

Before the vote, Fleming gave the council and the audience background on how the appointment came about. He said he first met Dexheimer after he was elected mayor and had to vacate his own council seat, when she was among those interested in the Ward 4 position at that time.

For this vacancy, Fleming said, the city advertised the opening publicly at the council’s request. “We put it out to Ward 4 and we actually had — I’m really excited about this, because I was afraid, you know, this is a thankless job — we had seven people volunteer,” he said. Fleming said he and Garcia conducted interviews and worked through questions with the applicants, and that Dexheimer stood out.

Other council members spoke in support before the roll call, with one saying she had known Dexheimer for several years and had referred her for the earlier vacancy, and another saying conversations about Dexheimer’s ideas for the city’s direction had convinced her Dexheimer would be an asset.

Fleming also explained the term structure to the audience. He said the appointment is temporary because Kellenberger had a substantial portion of his term remaining, and that under the applicable rule the balance of the term must go before voters. “For those of you in Ward 4, there will actually be two people to vote on, two separate board positions,” Fleming said. “Normally we alternate every two years. There’ll be one four-year position, for where Alderperson Garcia is, and there’ll be a two-year position that you will hopefully be filling here.” He said he assumed Dexheimer would seek signatures and run for the remaining term.

‘I Even Remember When We Had Brick Roads’

Dexheimer, who had prepared remarks, addressed the council after being sworn in.

“I’m a little nervous, but a lot more excited this evening,” she said. She thanked Fleming and Garcia for meeting with her when she expressed interest in the vacancy, and thanked the mayor and council for entrusting her to serve.

“I believe in our community and I am honored to be a part of it, not only as a citizen, but now as a public servant,” she said. “I promise to do my best to represent my neighbors and to help make the best decisions for Litchfield, both for today and for our future.”

Dexheimer said she has lived in Litchfield for almost her entire life. “I even remember when we had brick roads,” she said, drawing agreement from the dais. She said she raised her children in the city and that several have stayed, with two sons working for locally owned businesses, a daughter working for the Litchfield school district and her youngest son attending the United States Military Academy at West Point.

“I’m thankful for the opportunity to help preserve and improve Litchfield for our citizens today and for all of those who will come after us,” she said. “I look forward to working with you, working for you, learning from everyone in this room and beyond, and growing alongside you.”

An Immediate Voting Record

Dexheimer’s seating changed the arithmetic of the rest of the meeting. With Sisson absent, the council had six voting members before the appointment and seven afterward on an eight-seat body.

She abstained from the three items taken up immediately after her swearing-in — approval of the Aug. 20 public hearing minutes, approval of the Aug. 20 regular meeting minutes, and approval of the expenditure and payroll report for the current period — each of which passed 6-0 with her abstention.

She then voted aye on every remaining item, including the demolition agreement for 1425 North Madison, the stop sign ordinance, three vehicle purchases, two easement agreements, the meter reading software quote, the campground change order, the motions to enter and return from executive session, approval of the Aug. 20 executive session minutes, and a memorandum of agreement with the Illinois FOP Labor Council. All of those items passed 7-0.