River Heights Council adopts resolution setting tie-break method for filling vacancies

The River Heights City Council voted July 7 to adopt Resolution 9-2026, a policy that prescribes how the council will resolve tie votes when appointing candidates to fill midterm vacancies.

Mayor Blake Wright outlined recent state guidance on vacancy procedures before the council voted. The resolution codifies a process that first uses drawings by lot to eliminate tied candidates until only two remain and, if required after a second vote, resolves a final tie between two candidates with a public coin toss conducted by the City Recorder. Councilmember Kandi Evans moved to approve the resolution; Councilmember Lance Pitcher seconded. The motion passed with Evans, Malmstrom, Milbank, and Pitcher in favor, and no recorded opposition.

The resolution specifies public steps intended to ensure transparency: identical slips bearing candidate names placed in a container and drawn in view of the council and any observing candidates, recording the order of elimination in the minutes, and offering candidates the option to attend or send representatives. For a final two-way tie, the resolution assigns the right to call heads or tails to the candidate whose last name is earliest alphabetically and requires the coin toss to be performed and recorded publicly.

The adopted text cites Utah Code § 20A-1-510 as the statutory authority and takes effect immediately, applying to future vacancy proceedings unless amended. The council did not take additional votes related to appointment procedure at this meeting beyond adopting the resolution.