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Wixom council to put charter amendment on November ballot to change how vacancies are filled
Summary
City manager said the November 2023 charter language unintentionally extended appointments to the end of unexpired terms; council voted to place a corrective charter amendment on the November ballot so appointments would again expire at the next regular city election.
The Wixom City Council voted to place a charter amendment on the November ballot that, if approved by voters, will require election to fill a City Council vacancy at the next regular municipal election rather than extend an appointee for the remainder of an unexpired term.
City Manager Brown explained the change corrects an unintended effect of a 2023 charter revision. The earlier charter amendment sought to close a six‑week gap between an election and the start of a term; after that language was adopted the city discovered it also unintentionally altered the rule for filling vacancies so that appointees served to the end of the unexpired term rather than until the next regular city election. Council agreed to fix the language and place the corrective amendment on the November ballot.
Councilmembers discussed practical implications for candidates who might be appointed and then choose to run, and the clerk’s responsibilities for managing different signature and ballot deadlines for two different term lengths. The council adopted the resolution to place the amendment on the November ballot by voice vote.
