Board discusses appointment vs. special election after Savage resignation; trustees to solicit community feedback

Board members discussed options to fill the vacancy created by the resignation of board member Mister Savage and agreed to solicit community feedback before deciding whether to appoint a replacement or hold a special election.

A board speaker explained the legal choices and timeline to trustees: the district is on a 90-day timeline from the date of the resignation. If the board appoints a qualified person, that appointee would serve only until the next annual election (the transcript lists the date for the community vote on the 2026 budget as May 19, 2026). A special election would require legal notices, nominating petitions and procurement of voting machines; an individual elected in a special election would serve the remainder of the unexpired term through June 30, 2028.

The same board member said, “Personally, my own experience… I would, personally be leaning towards another special election, and leaving the choice in the voters' hands,” and urged the board to consider the costs of voting-machine procurement and the district’s expenses for a special election. Another trustee agreed that community input was appropriate and proposed using a short public-feedback window similar to the prior year.

Board members asked administration to send a district-wide email inviting residents to submit feedback by a specified deadline and to explain the timeline and the costs associated with a special election versus an appointment. Trustees emphasized a desire to have a five-member board as soon as practicable and to move quickly given the statutory timeline; no final decision was made at the meeting.

The board also confirmed that community members have the opportunity each year to express interest in serving on district committees; administrators explained committee selection is done by the staff member who runs the particular committee and that applicants will be notified if selected.