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Council weighs appointing replacement after resignation, outlines application timeline
Summary
City staff recommended appointing an interim council member to fill a recent vacancy, outlining a notice-and-application schedule and warning residents of a 14-day petition window that could trigger a costly special election. The clerk estimated a special election would cost $2,500–$4,000.
A staff member told the Manchester City Council that after a recent resignation the city has two options to fill the vacancy: appoint a replacement or hold a special election.
"Generally speaking, when there is a vacancy, there's 2 options. You can either appoint someone or hold a special election," the staff member said while reviewing a proposed timeline that would publish a notice of intent to appoint next Monday, accept applications through Aug. 28, and aim to make an appointment at a September meeting. The staff member cautioned there is a 14-day window after a published notice during which citizens could file a petition to force a special election.
The clerk provided a cost estimate for a special election and explained petition thresholds. "It would be between 2,500 and $4,000 to have a special election because you have to publish," the clerk said, adding that petitioners need signatures equal to 15% of the voters in the last election for that seat (about 138 signatures in this case).
Council members discussed pros and cons, with several expressing a preference to appoint an interim representative to avoid election costs and ensure a full table of members during the interim. Staff recommended publishing a simple application form and interviewing candidates at a work session, and noted an appointed interim would still need to run in the next regular election if they wished to remain in office.
The council did not take formal action during the committee meeting but directed staff to prepare the notice and application materials for the next regular agenda so members can approve the process.
