Aurora mayor picks school board member for empty city council spot

An East Aurora District 131 school board member is Mayor Richard Irvin’s pick to fill the vacant Ward 1 seat on the city council.

Dan Barreiro is currently the vice president of the East Aurora school board. He also worked for the city for 35 years, beginning in 1986 as an intern. Barreiro retired in 2021 as chief community services officer.

Irvin selected Barreiro to take over the seat vacated by former Ward 1 Alderman Emmanuel Llamas until the election in April 2025. Ten other candidates were under consideration for the appointed post.

“When you think of selfless service to the Aurora community, certainly the name of Dan Barreiro is at the top of the list,” said Irvin in a statement Tuesday. “Not only does he bring the experience of an elected official to the table, but he also brings decades of institutional knowledge about the inner workings of city government.

“Both of those, coupled with his many volunteer roles in the community, make him an ideal fit to serve as alderman of Ward 1, where he has lived for more than four decades, and raised his family,” Irvin added.

During his city hall career, Barreiro also served as assistant director of personnel, assistant finance director and assistant chief of staff.

“My learning curve will be short since I spent 35 years as a City of Aurora employee serving in many capacities under five different administrations,” said Barreiro in a statement. “My relationship with former and current elected officials on the east side is great. I have had the opportunity to speak at various east side community groups as a City representative and school board member.”

His appointment will be voted on by the full city council during a meeting on Tuesday, Aug. 13.

Barreiro intends to step down from the East Aurora school board to assume the duties of Ward 1 alderman.