Washington will hold special election for Ward 2

WASHINGTON — City and county officials said residents could expect a Feb. 14 special election date to replace resigned Washington City Council Member Steve Gault.

Mayor Jaron Rosien said multiple possible candidates had approached him, the city clerk or a City Council member about serving the remainder of Gault’s term, which ends in 2025.

“I don’t want to scare potential others away, but there have been three inquiries,” Rosien said. “That’s great to see. I think, in some ways, it’s related to having unopposed (regular) elections last time, and people are saying, ‘Hey, I maybe want to get involved.’”

The still-sitting council members had the option to fill the Second Ward seat by appointment or election, but chose the latter at a meeting Tuesday night. The move followed Rosien’s recommendation.

"Historically, even with a qualified candidate for appointment, council consensus for an appointment did not exist, and community consensus indicated a petition could be filed requesting an election,“ Rosien said. ”An election is objectively the best option. Because the route of appointment would still take several weeks, and ultimately could still result in requiring an election.“

In similar circumstances last year, council members worried about finding a Ward 1 replacement for outgoing member Danielle Pettit-Majewski during a time-crunched budget season. The issue was not raised in discussion’s around Gault’s seat.

In an interview after the meeting, Council Member Millie Youngquist said the need to find a good fit outweighed the need to represent Ward 2 in budgetary decisions.

“I don’t think the budget process is the most important consideration,” she said. “I think it’s finding somebody that is passionate about doing it, and that has the confidence of the people of their ward.”

Youngquist said a new member would likely join with some budget deliberation left on the table. While that person may be somewhat out of the loop, she said financial matters would be just as puzzling for an immediate replacement.

“Anybody that comes on, unless they’ve been on council before, it’s always a big learning curve,” she said. “The rest of us have been through the budget procedures before … I’m confident that we can work to get a good budget and to meet the needs of both the city and of the people.”

State code allows the city to schedule a vacancy-filling election date any Tuesday of the year, as long as it’s not within four weeks of another election and as long as it gives notice far enough in advance.

Washington County Deputy Elections Administrator Sue Meeks said Feb. 14 was the likely date, as county election officials look to maximize preparation time — both for themselves and for potential candidates.

“The filing period will start immediately, up until the 25th day before the election,” she said. “Then, it will be a real narrow window to get the ballots ordered and in for a short absentee voting period.”

Any interested person has until 5 p.m. on Jan. 20 to submit a candidacy petition and affidavit to City Hall. That petition must include at least 25 signatures from Ward 2 residents of the city, listed with their legal addresses, not PO box numbers. The proper paperwork can be picked up at City Hall or the County Auditor’s office.

Comments: Kalen.McCain@southeastiowaunion.com