North Liberty City Council votes 3-2 to appoint next mayor

NORTH LIBERTY - The North Liberty City Council voted Tuesday night to appoint the city's next mayor, though some council members said they expect the decision to ultimately be decided by a special election.

The council voted 3-2 to make the appointment at its Feb. 28 meeting. The mayor's seat was left open when former Mayor Amy Nielsen resigned at the end of last year after being elected to represent Iowa House District 77.

Council members could have decided Tuesday to call a special election, but Chris Hoffman said he couldn't support that because of the cost. The Johnson County Auditor's Office estimated the cost of a special election to be between $3,000 and $5,000, according to a memo from City Attorney Scott Peterson.

'I believe that if someone is interested in forcing a special election regardless of what we say, that's going to happen,” Hoffman said. 'We have the ability, or the luxury in that case, of not being on the hook for $3,500.”

Hoffman was joined in voting to appoint the next mayor by council member Brian Wayson and Mayor Pro Tem Terry Donahue.

Council members Annie Pollock and Jim Sayre voted against appointment, saying they would prefer a special election.

North Liberty residents still could force a special election by collecting 26 signatures of eligible electors. Residents can submit a petition until 14 days after the official appointment.

During a previous meeting, Peterson said he heard of citizens already collecting signatures on a petition to force an election.

The council previously thought signatures collected before its decision Tuesday were invalid, although that is untrue. City Administrator Ryan Heiar said a miscommunication with the Auditor's Office was the reason for the confusion.

The mayoral term lasts until the end of this year. However, an appointed mayor would serve only until the official canvass of votes is completed after the regular election scheduled for November.

The mayoral vacancy has been discussed at a number of council meetings since Nielsen's election. At the last meeting, members agreed to postpone the vote until some of their yearly budget work was completed.

Sayre said during Tuesday's meeting he would have preferred holding off on making a decision on how to fill the vacancy until the last possible meeting in an effort to reduce an appointed mayor's term. If the council doesn't make a decision before March 1, however, the county auditor is obligated to force an election, according to the memo from Peterson.

'It seems to me almost like whether we personally agree with it or not, it's (an election) going to happen,” Sayre said. 'If we're going the route of just trying to make a decision tonight, personally I'd vote to just call a special election.”

Council members said they plan to review applications to choose the new mayor. Similar to board and commission applications, the application for mayor are expected to be available at the City Administration building, 3 Quail Creek Circle or online at northlibertyiowa.org. An official notice to citizens must also be included in North Liberty's newspaper.

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