Franklin County mayor outlines timeline to fill three commission vacancies

Franklin County Mayor Chris Gass said the county is addressing multiple vacancies on the County Commission after recent resignations and outlined the legal notice and timeline the commission will follow to fill the seats.

Gass identified three developments: the resignation of Commissioner Eldridge (District 7) after a residency change, the pending resignation of Commissioner Monica Jeffers (District 1) following her election to the property assessor position (effective July 31), and the resignation of Commissioner Edwards, which created a vacancy for the chairman pro tem (vice chair) role. "We will meet that 30 days in the August meeting," Gass said, describing the public-notice step needed before nominations can proceed.

Why it matters: Franklin County must follow a 30-day public-notice requirement before filling a vacant commission seat, which sets different earliest possible appointment dates for each vacancy. Gass said the District 7 vacancy will satisfy the 30-day notice and be eligible for nominations in August; the District 1 seat, because Jeffers' resignation takes effect July 31, cannot meet the 30-day requirement in August and therefore would be eligible for replacement in September with the appointee's first meeting in October. Gass suggested waiting until the November election as a prudent option for the District 1 seat but said the decision rests with the full commission.

Details and process: The mayor explained that, once the 30-day notice period expires, the commission may accept nominations and vote to appoint a replacement at the next meeting. He also said any person appointed to a vacant seat is required to run in the next available election, which in this case is scheduled for November. The resignation of Commissioner Edwards additionally leaves the commission without a chairman pro tem; Gass said the commission plans to address that vacancy in August after meeting the public-notice requirement.

What's next: The commission will decide whether to nominate and appoint replacements at the August meeting for seats that meet the notice requirement and in subsequent meetings for seats that do not. Gass said the timing and whether to wait for the November election is "at the will of the commission" and closed the update by wishing residents a safe weekend.

Quotes used in this article are taken from the county update by County Mayor Chris Gass during the public briefing.