West Chester plans city council appointment

WEST CHESTER — With West Chester City Council Member Justin Banks resigning from the position for personal reasons, other city decision-makers plan to appoint his replacement rather than hold an election for the seat.

Mayor Vanessa Wasson has asked residents interested in the role to contact her by May 4, something six people have already done. She said the candidates would make their pitches to the city council at its regular meeting on May 5 at 5:30 p.m.

“(Appointment) is cheaper, and we do have people that are interested,” she said. “We wouldn’t have an election, probably, unless there was nobody interested … (or) unless they ask us to.”

City Clerk Sue Janecek said notices were posted in three places around the city of 144 people, and that current council members aimed to spread the word around town themselves. She said the appointed term would last through Dec. 31 of this year, before it goes on the ballot in November alongside every other council seat.

“It’s open for anybody,” she said. “Typically, we don’t have that many people running for council seats, when we have it.”

Those interested in consideration for the appointment can contact Mayor Vanessa Wasson at 319-548-1666 to put their names in the hat.

The city’s plan does not guarantee that an appointment goes through, however.

State code allows West Chester residents to require a special election for the open city council seat, if they file a petition to do so. The deadline to do so is May 19, and the petition must gather a number of signatures from eligible voters equal to at least 15% of the ballots cast in the last city council election. In this case, that number is 12, given the 84 ballots cast in the city’s 2021 city council election.