Fort Thomas council declares mayoral office vacant after family letter, names interim mayor

Fort Thomas City Council voted to declare the office of mayor vacant after a family letter read at the meeting said the mayor has been unable to perform his duties following a stroke. The council then named an interim mayor and opened applications to fill the now-vacant council seat.

The family letter, read aloud to the council by a member, said the mayor "needs to focus now on himself" and expressed gratitude for support from city staff, first responders and residents. "He truly is grateful to each and every person who has reached out, sent cards, prayers, food, flowers, and continue to think of him as he heals," the reader said.

Under a Kentucky statute referenced in the meeting (identified in the transcript as "KRS"), council members said they could declare the office vacant after 60 days of the mayor's inability to perform duties. A council member moved to vacate the office at the family's request and the council proceeded with a roll call. The transcript records members answering during roll call but does not record line-by-line yea/nay tallies in the audio provided; the council announced that the nominated candidate would assume the interim mayor role.

A council member nominated Andy Olsen (the transcript also contains variants of the name as "Andy Els" and "Andy Ellison") to serve as interim mayor; the council acknowledged the nomination and the individual accepted, saying, "I'm humbled and grateful for the trust," as he took on the interim responsibilities. The council member then stated that the appointee's council seat is vacated by virtue of his appointment.

Council members also set a process to fill the vacated council seat: interested citizens are to submit a letter of intent, and may include a resume, either by email or dropped off at city hall. The deadline for submissions was set for Wednesday, December 10 at 4:00 p.m. The council said it will review applications and discuss the appointment at its regular meeting on Dec. 15. The council also said the vacancy notice will be posted on the city's website and social media the following day.

The statute cited in the meeting was identified in the transcript only as "KRS"; the transcript does not provide a chapter or section number. The family letter lists Jan, Lynn and Ryan among the signatories and references "Eric" by first name; the council reader said the family supports vacating the office so the mayor may focus on recovery.

No further formal actions or vote tallies are recorded in the provided transcript excerpt. The council indicated next steps for filling the council vacancy and scheduled consideration of applicants at its Dec. 15 meeting.