Washington switches to special election for open council seat

A week after a 3-2 vote resolving to replace outgoing Council Member Danielle Pettit-Majewski with a city-appointed community member, Washington officials reversed course Tuesday night, opting instead to hold a special election for the Ward 1 seat.

Most council members maintained their previous positions on the matter, save for Elaine Moore, who changed her mind about an appointment, resulting in a 3-2 decision to hold a special election in March.

“It was not an easy decision,” Moore said after the meeting. “It was what was best for the city. I thought about what is best to bring us all together, and the best for us was to get the election, get it done, and get it over with, and get back to work.”

Mayor Jaron Rosien said he agreed with the new resolution, which overwrites the earlier call for an appointment.

"I did lobby for appointment for a number of reasons, I thought appointment would be best, I changed my mind on what I’m advising because the landscape changed,“ he said. “The desire for special election changed, the absences that we were going to face and quorum issues, that also changed. For that reason, I put it on here, that way we can decide again.“

City Administrator Deanna McCusker said two residents in the city had already signaled their intent to run for election regardless of the council’s decision, a right afforded to them by state code given enough signatures from the ward.

“I received correspondence from two individuals that the petition is signed, they have enough signatures, and as soon as the publication is in the paper … they will bring the petition in,” McCusker said. “So a special election will be held, that’s a given.”

Council Members Fran Stigers and Steve Gault maintained their previous positions, still voting for to fill the vacancy via appointment.

Gault said he did not take promises for a petition seriously.

“From what I’m seeing and hearing, the people that are posting for the special election are not even people that are in the ward,” he said.

Council Member Millie Youngquist disagreed, saying the credible threat of a petition-prompted special election made a council-called the fastest option, since the appointment process would delay the eligible petition date by two weeks, pushing back the state-required 32-day advance notice.

“Regardless, it looks like there’s going to be an election,” she said. “Why not get a head start on it and have a person as soon as possible, rather than delaying it more.”

City Clerk Sally Hart said the special election would likely be scheduled for mid-to-late March, given a minimum advance notice of 32 days.

Comments: Kalen.McCain@southeastiowaunion.com