The Starke County Republican Party has chosen a new District 4 Starke County Council member.
Don White will be sworn into office on Thursday, March 21 at 10 a.m. CT in the Starke County Clerk’s Office.
According to Starke County Republican Party officials, a caucus was not held as White was the only candidate interested in the position.
A vacancy was created when the Starke County Council members expelled Tom DeCola from his seat from the council amid allegations of a code of conduct violation. DeCola was accused of public intoxication and disorderly conduct in an incident at the Indiana Association of Counties in Indianapolis in December.
In a previous press release provided by Starke County Council President Dave Pearman said the fiscal body may, by state statute, “(1) expel any member for violation of an official duty; (2) declare the seat of any member vacant if the member is unable or fails to perform the duties of the member’s office; and (3) adopt its own rules to govern proceedings under this section, but a two-thirds ( 2/3 ) vote is required to expel a member or vacate a member’s seat.”
The expulsion was unanimously reaffirmed during the Starke County Council meeting Monday night.
