High Springs voters to decide how vacant commission seats get filled

 In November, High Springs citizens will get an opportunity to amend the process by which vacant City Commission seats can be filled mid-term.

As the City Charter now reads, if a seat becomes vacant, the remaining commissioners may appoint someone to fill the position until the next regular election.

But during a June 24 meeting, the current commission voted unanimously in favor of passing an ordinance to submit a proposal for an amendment to the City Charter to be placed on the November ballot, for the citizens of High Springs to decide.

The commission discussed two different versions of the amendment but decided on ordinance 2010-10 alt. (for alternative).

If voters pass this amendment, it would change the way a vacant commission seat is filled.

The prposed law would require that if there were more than six months remaining before the next regular election, a mandatory special election must be held to fill the vacant seat for the remainder of the term.

If there were less than six months remaining, the commission could choose to appoint someone to fill the position but only until the next regular election. The commission may also choose to appoint someone to the position until the special election is held, but it is not required.

Initially, Mayor Bill Coughlin suggested that the alternative language not be read and the commission should just go with the first version, because the second is “not that great.” He quickly apologized and urged city attorney Thomas DePeter to go on with the alternate version when he was told that Commissioner Eric May had made a specific request for it to be presented, too.

May explained he prefers this amendment because it facilitates keeping all the commission seats’ terms in sync with the regular election schedule, and it requires the new commissioner to be elected by the people.

Both he and DePeter pointed out that according to some basic research DePeter did, the requirement for a mandatory special election was the most common method among other cities comparable to High Springs.

After clarifying the details of the language, all the commissioners, and Coughlin, agreed on this version.

“It’s an elected position — it should always be elected,” May said.

But the final call will be up to the voters in November. If the amendment doesn’t pass, the charter will remain as it is now.