Arcadia City Hall (Photo – Ann Hunnewell)
Despite staff recommendation, and in defiance of City law, the Arcadia City Council failed to call a special election or appoint someone to fill its vacant District 5 Council seat.
By News Desk
The City remains out of compliance with its charter and could miss the February 14, 2022 filing deadline to hold a special election during the state’s June primary. Not holding the special election in June would cost Arcadia considerably more money.
As reported by ColoradoBoulevard.net last month, the District 5 Council seat has been vacant since November 2021 when Councilmember Roger Chandler passed away due to complications from cancer. Section 403(c) of the City’s Charter mandates that “[a]ny vacancy on the Council shall be filled by a majority vote of the remaining Councilmembers within thirty days after the vacancy occurs.” The City Charter goes on to state that “[i]f the Council fails, for any reason, to fill such vacancy within said thirty-day period, it shall forthwith call an election for the earliest possible date to fill such vacancy.”
The council failed to secure a majority vote on any of several motions made at the February 7 meeting. The split was over whether or not to call a special election in addition to making an interim appointment to the vacant Council seat. The meeting was adjourned without agreement on a special election or an appointment. The vacant Council seat puts Council control of the City’s ongoing decennial redistricting process in jeopardy. If a majority of Councilmembers cannot agree on a district map by the state’s April 2022 deadline, then a judge could take over the process.
Arcadia’s District 5 City Council seat has been vacant now for over 80 days.
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