The city has begun taking applications for the vacant District 2 seat of Councilman Wayne Smith who stepped down in June due to health concerns.
It will be the same process the council used in October when it selected Curtis Strickland to fill the District 1 seat of Councilman Tommy Daughtry, who stepped aside because he moved outside the district. During that process, the council heard from the candidates and reviewed their applications.
Applications for Smith’s seat, which can be downloaded at this link, are due by noon August 29, and the council will hear from potential candidates at their September 3 meeting.
https://www.rrspin.com/news/9287-city-taking-applications-for-vacant-district-2-council-seat.html#sigProIdf7a1bf8754
City Attorney Geoffrey Davis noted in a memo Tuesday to the council that they had two ways they could go on the matter — a motion and vote process, which the panel approved, where a council member could move to appoint an eligible person — or a process in which each council member is provided a ballot listing the names of interested nominees.
Davis noted in the memo that regardless of which option the council ultimately decided to use, “Council may still choose to solicit interest from eligible individuals prior to determining who fills the vacancy. This solicitation can include an application or invitation to give public comments or presentations at a future session of city council.”
The panel could have also opted to let the seat be decided during the election, which Davis advised against. “As all of you know, we have three districts in the city and to leave a council seat vacant in district two will leave those constituents with only one representative where there are two in our charter. It’s certainly my suggestion that council fill this vacancy in a timely manner after giving due consideration to the process and potential interest in the vacant seat.”
Councilwoman Sandra Bryant said, “I just feel that we need to keep it open. I don’t feel it should just be the council to appoint someone. I feel like we’ve got people that are in the district and if they have the desire we should definitely give them the opportunity.”
In its notice for the upcoming City Page on rrspin.com, the city expects all eligible applicants to attend and appear before the council at the September 3 meeting at 5:30 p.m. in the Lloyd Andrews City Meeting Hall on Jackson Street.
All applications received by the city clerk will be verified to ensure residential qualifications for appointment utilizing data available from the Halifax County Tax Administration and Board of Elections.
For more information contact City Clerk Traci Storey at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it., call at 252-533-2840 or go by city hall at 1040 Roanoke Avenue.
