| By Neil Johnson, reporter/anchor, Big Radio |

Dave Marshick is the new Janesville City Council president.

Janesville’s newly seated council voted Marshick in as president narrowly, under a 4-2-1 split vote.

Marshick now takes the helm after serving last term as council vice president.

He replaces outgoing council president Paul Benson, who did not run for re-election.

The local banker says he thinks after serving as vice president, he’s ready to be at the council’s helm.

Marshick won the seat as president amid a vote by two council members for longtime council member Paul Williams, who won re-election in April. One person voted for new council member Larry Squire for president.

The council also elected Marshick’s nomination for council vice president, Aaron Burdick.

Marshick says he’d like to keep what he calls “momentum” going, particularly in the housing sector.

Marshick says he thinks the city needs to focus on spurring construction of new, market rate housing, saying he thinks that will cause a trickling effect that will lead eventually to existing “affordable housing” opening up for working-class renters and buyers.