College Park council member to resign; council introduces charter change and schedules March special election

Council member Stewart Adams said he will resign from the College Park City Council effective Jan. 8, 2025, and the council moved quickly to introduce an amendment to the city charter on how vacancies are filled and to set a special election for District 3.

Adams told colleagues that family medical issues and work obligations led to his decision. “In March of 2024, my family had some difficulties with the pregnancy… In November, I told a few of you on this call, colleagues, that I was gonna resign,” Council member Stewart Adams said.

The resignation prompted two formal actions: the mayor and council introduced a charter resolution that would change the timing and process for filling vacancies, and the City’s Board of Elections Supervisors and council set a special election date and related deadlines for District 3.

Why it matters: The council debated whether vacancies occurring within a defined window before a general election should be filled by appointment or by a special election — a choice that affects cost, staff workload and how quickly a ward gets full-time representation. The council approved an introductory charter amendment as amended, and it approved logistics for a March special election intended to seat a new District 3 member before the city’s…