Seat Pleasant council approves emergency funding, schedules special election for Ward 2 vacancy

Seat Pleasant city staff told the council on Nov. 10 that, under a charter amendment, a vacancy with more than 15 months left in a term requires a special election. The city clerk recommended an emergency ordinance and a $50,000 budget amendment to cover election costs; council approved the emergency ordinance unanimously.

The city clerk outlined the election timeline: the vacancy occurred Nov. 4, 2025, triggering a requirement to hold the special election within 75 days. Staff indicated the special election would be held in mid‑January 2026 (the clerk cited Jan. 16, 2026 as the city’s planned date and noted Jan. 18, 2026 is the outside statutory deadline). The clerk said notice of the vacancy and candidate packet information would be mailed to Ward 2 residents the week of Nov. 17, with candidate packets due Dec. 1, 2025. Mail ballots were planned to be returned by Jan. 9, 2026, and the city planned a single early‑voting day immediately before the election.

City staff estimated the active voter list for Ward 2 at roughly 402 residents. The $50,000 emergency transfer was described as a conservative estimate to ensure the city would not need another amendment if costs changed; a final budget amendment will be on the December agenda after vendor quotes and the board of elections cost estimate are finalized.

The council voted to approve emergency Ordinance O‑26‑07 to move $50,000 into the clerk’s election expense account, and asked staff to provide a fuller cost accounting for December. The council also directed staff to proceed with the notice, candidate packet, and early‑voting logistics described by the clerk.