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Polk County Commissioner Mark Holy resigns; board discusses special-election options
Summary
Polk County commissioners accepted the resignation of Commissioner Mark Holy effective immediately and discussed options for filling the vacancy, including special-election dates, estimated costs and procedural steps required under state election rules.
Polk County commissioners on Tuesday accepted the resignation of Commissioner Mark Holy, effective the day of the meeting. The board voted to accept the resignation and directed staff to return to a future meeting with options for declaring a vacancy and setting an election date.
The action followed a memorandum and an email read into the record notifying the board that Holy is stepping down because his ALS is progressing and he needs to spend more time with family. The board carried a motion to accept the resignation without objection.
County staff and the county attorney advised the board on the mechanics of filling the seat. Under state election law, the board may declare a vacancy and call a special election to fill the unexpired term. County staff provided the board with the statutory election dates currently available for 2026 and the practical implications of different choices: February 3 and March 10 (with February possibly serving as a primary if needed), August 11 and November 3. The board agreed to take more time to select a date and asked staff to return with a memo listing the procedural steps and timelines.
The county attorney and election staff told commissioners a special election limited to District 5 would cost substantially less than a countywide special election, though it would still be a material expense; staff cited typical special-election costs in similar jurisdictions in the range of $8,000–$12,000 but stressed actual figures depend on whether the election is held with a primary and on local staffing and polling needs. Commissioners discussed holding the special election on an existing statutory election date to avoid the extra cost of a standalone special election.
Next steps the board identified: (1) formally declare the vacancy at a future meeting, (2) staff will provide a memo with recommended election dates and the legal/filing calendars and (3) if the board selects a date, staff will publish the filing period and other statutory notices. Commissioners indicated they were not prepared to set a date that day and will revisit the matter at their next regular meeting.
The resignation and the board's discussion on vacancy timing mean an interim vacancy will exist until the board selects an election date or other lawful process is completed; the board did not appoint an interim replacement at the meeting.
