Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Missoula council debates process to fill Ward 1 vacancy after official notice
Summary
City councilors and members of the public debated whether to appoint a temporary Ward 1 representative immediately or wait for the Nov. 4 election results and county canvass; no final vote was recorded at the Sept. 22 meeting.
Missoula City Council on Sept. 22 heard extended debate over how to fill a vacancy in Ward 1 after official notice of the vacancy was received Sept. 4, with councilors split on whether to appoint an interim representative immediately or wait for the Nov. 4 general election and the county elections office canvass.
The dispute centered on legal process and democratic norms. Council President Cheryl said the council "absolutely believe[s] that that is what the spirit of the law is, and we believe that that's the right thing to do democratically," arguing for filling the seat with whoever the public elects in November so the vacancy is filled by an outcome of the voters rather than an intra-council appointment.
Councilor Bob Campbell urged caution and cited state law, quoting Montana Code Annotated 13-37-127 during debate: "A candidate for elective office may not…
Already have an account? Log in
Subscribe to keep reading
Unlock the rest of this article — and every article on Citizen Portal.
- Unlimited articles
- AI-powered breakdowns of topics, speakers, decisions, and budgets
- Instant alerts when your location has a new meeting
- Follow topics and more locations
- 1,000 AI Insights / month, plus AI Chat
