Iowa City Council plans to hold special election to fill vacancy

IOWA CITY — The Iowa City Council is planning on calling a special election to fill a vacancy — with three years left on the term — after council member Andrew Dunn announced his resignation effective in January.

The council still needs to formally vote on the matter and establish a date for the election, but all the members have expressed their intention to hold a special election rather than make an appointment. Dunn, a labor representative, cited an increasing workload for leaving the council.

The council could fill the open seat for District C, which includes downtown Iowa City and north-central Iowa City, either way. In 2023, the council chose to fill a vacancy by appointment — citing time constraints, cost concerns and historically low turnout in a special election.

City Attorney Eric Goers said a special election likely would cost over $100,000 for both the primary and general election. Those funds would come from the city’s general fund.

“I think everyone understands the math, like it costs money. Nobody wants to spend the money, but there is value in having a special election. So if it was free, it'd be an easy choice, but it's not,” said council member Josh Moe.

If there is a primary election, which would take place if three or more candidates filed for the seat, only District C voters would be able to vote in the primary But all eligible Iowa City voters could cast ballots in the general election.

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Timeline on special election unclear

While council is in agreement on holding a special election, when that could be still is up in the air. The city must inform the Johnson County Auditor’s Office 60 days in advance of a general election to allow the office time to plan for it.

If the council were to take action as soon as Dunn left his seat in January, a special election could be held in March.

But it’s unclear if the council could announce its intention before Dunn’s resignation takes effect. In it can, the city could give the county 60 days notice soon and potentially have an election before March.

“I've been working with the county Auditor's Office, the County Attorney's Office and the Secretary of State's office. There's been some difficulty in reaching consensus on that question. I put a formal request to the Secretary of State's website a week ago, and I'm looking forward to hearing their response,” Goers told the council Tuesday.

The latest a general election could occur is May 2025. That would occur if the council took no action within 60 days of the vacancy. Then under Iowa law, a special election must take place after the Auditor’s Office has 60 days to prepare.

Council members have gone back and forth on when it’s best to have an election. Some have expressed that a later date would allow more time for candidates to campaign and likely increase voter engagement. Others argue a sooner election would allow for the seven-member council to have the most members involved in critical decision making, such as approving the city budget.

Council has not made a decision, but the majority of members at a work sessions Tuesday seemed to be in favor of holding an election sooner rather than later.

“I think just for the sake of having a full council, that we should have the special election and do it as soon as we're able. And I think if people want to have their own events, if they want to knock doors, I think they're going to do that, whether it's in February or April,” said council member Megan Alter.

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