As you may recall, during the Communications portion of your regular meeting on September 1, 2020, there was a discussion initiated by Councilman Davis regarding the process when filling a Council vacancy. It was the consensus of Council to revise the current process in which the Council seats are determined by the candidates who receive the highest and second highest votes with the third highest vote getter receiving the vacant seat. The City Attorney has prepared the attached ordinance which provides for separating qualified candidates between the mayor election, regularly scheduled council member elections, and vacant seat council member elections. In short, when the Municipal Election qualifying period begins in February, each candidate will have to express which seat they are running for on their qualifying documents. The seats up for election will be shown separately on the April election ballot. Voters will choose two candidates for the regularly scheduled council member seats and one candidate for the vacant council member seat.
The proposed ordinance also removes canvassing board appointment requirements if the county canvassing board is available as provided in the code. The ordinance also addresses three matters which are not fully provided for in the code or charter – unopposed candidates, tie elections and a state-mandated provision pertaining to the death, withdrawal or removal of a candidate for office after the qualifying period.