Lincoln council accepts resignation of Councilman Braska, outlines appointment and special-election options

The Lincoln City Council accepted the resignation of Councilman Braska at the Nov. 7 meeting.

A motion to accept the resignation was moved, seconded and approved by roll call. Council members then discussed how to fill the vacancy. Legal counsel and staff outlined two primary options: the council may call a special election or appoint a replacement after a 15-day notice. Staff explained that if, within the statutory period, citizens file a petition meeting the secretary of state's signature and qualifying requirements (approximately 5% of qualified electors as measured by prior turnout), the city must call a special election.

Finance staff (Tammy) provided a ballpark estimate for holding a special election at roughly $11,000; the council discussed whether to hold interviews of interested residents and whether to use a smaller citizen panel rather than the full council to conduct candidate interviews. Council members also described prior processes in which committees interviewed candidates and provided a recommendation letter to the mayor, who makes the appointment.

Directions given at the meeting included posting an interest form on the city website and collecting citizen-interest submissions; staff was asked to circulate more information via email ahead of the next meeting. Council members also agreed to identify a three-member interview panel so the tree board and related bodies can continue meeting in the interim.

Next steps: staff to publish the vacancy notice and information about the process; the council will determine whether to appoint or hold a special election after the statutory petition period and based on any filed petitions.