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Bluff council cancels Nov. 4 municipal election after candidate withdraws; councilor announces October resignation
Summary
After Lou Anne Hooks withdrew from the November ballot, the Bluff Town Council adopted a resolution cancelling the Nov. 4 municipal election and declaring unopposed candidates elected where applicable; Hooks said she will resign in October to ease the transition.
The Bluff Town Council on Sept. 16 adopted a resolution cancelling the Nov. 4, 2025, municipal general election after councilor Lou Anne Hooks withdrew her candidacy.
Councilor Lou Anne Hooks told the council she had informed the lieutenant governor’s office and the county elections office of her decision to withdraw; the withdrawal prompted the council to convene an emergency step to cancel formal printing and ballot preparations. "We approved the resolution that the county and the lieutenant governor office needed," the mayor/council chair said during the meeting.
Town staff said San Juan County had not yet sent ballots to the printer, allowing the town to avoid the larger costs associated with a printed ballot and to file a notice of cancellation in the local record. The council adopted Resolution No. 91 (curative language) to cancel the municipal election and to "declare each unopposed candidate elected to office upon compliance with applicable law," as recorded in the adopted resolution.
Hooks also announced she will resign effective in October, saying she planned the earlier departure to help smooth the transition. "My last meeting will be the 21st, and my purpose in that is to make the transition smoother for the town," Hooks said, adding she would remain available to help the town complete outstanding items through October.
Council members asked the town attorney to review Utah Code 20A-1-510 (statutory requirements for filling vacancies) and other options for appointing or interviewing a replacement for Hooks' seat before January. "We cannot just vote putting [a candidate] in place," the chair said, citing state law requiring advertisement and an interview process for short-term appointments.
Next steps: staff will publish the required notice of cancellation and return with legal guidance about options for filling the vacancy and any steps the council must take before the new council is seated in January.
