Suppose they held an election and nobody wanted to run? That’s the scenario with the Elkhorn District 1 common council seat up for election April 2.
Current councilman Jerry Anderson has decided to not seek re-election in District 1 and no one else filed paperwork to run for the seat by the Jan. 2 filing deadline.
According to City Clerk Darlene Igl, here’s how the seat will be filled:
“The write in candidate with the most votes would win the aldermanic seat and would be issued a certificate of election,” she wrote in an email.
However, Igl noted that if the winner indicated they are not interested in holding the position, they would need to decline in writing.
This would then create an official vacancy, which would be filled under the provisions of state statute.
“The City would seek interested parties,” Igl said, “likely go through an interview process and an appointment would made by the mayor subject to confirmation by the Common Council. The appointment could be for the term or until a special election is held the next April.”
Incumbents will run unopposed
In the two other common council seats up for re-election, incumbents Kimberly DeHaan, who represents District 5, and Gary Payson Sr., who represents District 2, will run unopposed because they were the only ones filing paperwork by the Jan. 2 filing deadline. Each term is for two years.
