Forest Park council adopts ordinance requiring city employees to resign when they qualify for elected office

The Forest Park City Council on Dec. 16 adopted an ordinance requiring city employees to resign from employment once they file qualifying paperwork and pay application fees to run for specified elected offices.

Supporters said the ordinance codifies a past practice and clarifies the scope of the rule. "So this is codifying that policy," City Manager Clark told the governing body, explaining staff could not find the rule in the personnel handbook or the city's ordinances even though it had been treated as standard practice in the past.

The measure matters because it changes an employee's employment status the moment they begin the formal qualifying process for an election. The ordinance states qualification is "presumed whenever an employee files a candidacy application and pays any related application fees," and applies to municipal and certain county or full-time offices, staff said.

Council debate centered on fairness and the policy's timing. Councilwoman Akins Wells said she had discussed the matter with the city attorney and called the proposal "more personal than business," saying it could force employees to relinquish jobs to run for office. "I just think it's more personal than it is business," she said. Wells also said she believed employees should be able to run and only resign if and when they take office; she voted against the ordinance.

Council members who supported the ordinance said it reduces potential conflicts of interest and removes ambiguity. Councilwoman Kimberly James and other supporters noted a recent situation in which an employee learned of an informal expectation to resign and withdrew a candidacy. City Manager Clark said the change is intended to prevent conflicts between an employee's duties and their candidacy.

During the roll call that followed the vote, Councilmember James and Councilmember Gutierrez voted yes; Councilmember Akins Wells voted no; Councilmember Mears voted yes. The ordinance passed by the recorded council votes.

The ordinance does not detail internal severance, rehire or seniority protections; staff said the item is intended to codify a practice and to clarify its scope, not to specify all personnel outcomes. The council did not direct staff to draft additional rehire or leave provisions during the meeting.

Council members and staff said the city attorney had been consulted while preparing the draft, and staff emphasized the ordinance mirrors common municipal practice in other jurisdictions. No statutory citation was offered during the discussion.

The council adopted the ordinance as presented. No additional implementation timeline or administrative rules were announced at the meeting.

Councilmembers' closing remarks reiterated differing views: Akins Wells said she voted no in defense of employees' opportunities; other members said codification provides clarity.

The item was discussed during the agenda (item 8) and the ordinance vote was taken later in the meeting during the regular session.