Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Council Vacancy topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Council discusses Ward 1 vacancy process; plans open solicitation and possible appointment after seating new council
Summary
Council discussed options for filling the upcoming Ward 1 vacancy, including appointment vs. special election, vetting nominees through current council members, public solicitation of candidates and timing the appointment after newly elected members are seated.
Council members discussed how to fill a vacancy in Ward 1 after no petitions were filed for the seat. Under state law, the council may either appoint a successor or hold a special election once an authorizing ordinance is in place; staff noted that creating the ordinance to permit a special election would take additional time.
Mayor Fergan indicated a preference for candidates to be recommended by individual current council members, vetted by those members, and then confirmed by the full council by appointment. Several council members said they preferred an open solicitation so interested residents could contact council members directly or submit interest publicly; one council member said last year’s process felt “a little bit awkward” and supported clearer, open steps.
Council members discussed timing: because the current officeholder remains in place until a successor is sworn in, staff recommended concluding the appointment process after the newly elected council is seated in May (suggested dates mentioned in the discussion included April 14 for discussion and May 12 or May 13 for final appointment). Council members were advised that discussing multiple candidates’ qualifications could be handled in executive session under the law if they wished.
No formal motion was taken; staff recorded the council’s direction to post notice and solicit candidates and to return the item for further discussion at a future meeting.
