Fredericksburg wants elections to fill council vacancies

BY EMILY BATTLE

Date published: 11/18/2008

BY EMILY BATTLE

Fredericksburg City Council members want voters to decide, when possible, who fills a vacancy on the council.

Right now, the city's charter dictates that if someone resigns from a City Council seat, his or her replacement is to be appointed by the remaining council members.

That's what happened when Ward 1 Councilman Marvin Dixon resigned last summer. The council appointed Brad Ellis to serve the less than two years remaining in Dixon's term.

But the process got council members talking about whether that duty should rest with the voters.

Last Tuesday, they voted to ask the General Assembly to change Fredericksburg's charter to allow for a special election to fill a council vacancy when two years remain in an unexpired term, and if the special election would coincide with the next regular council election.

This charter change would not have affected the way Dixon's replacement was chosen, since he had less than two years left in his term.

Similarly, if someone resigned with more than two years left in his term, but his resignation came just days after a regular May council election, then the council would still appoint a replacement, since there would be no other regular council election before the term ended.

At Tuesday's meeting, Councilman Matt Kelly suggested the charter change was much ado over something that wouldn't end up having much practical impact.

"I just don't see us going through all these gyrations and frankly getting us anywhere," he said before casting the only vote against the resolution.

Other council members had argued at previous meetings that voters should get to choose a person who will represent them for more than two years.

The charter change will have to be made by means of a bill in the General Assembly, which convenes Jan. 14.

Emily Battle: 540/374-5413
Email: ebattle@freelancestar.com

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Date published: 11/18/2008