January 17, 2023 |
The Rawlins City Council formally approved the process for filling the vacant seat on the governing body during a special meeting held Thursday. Following an executive session, Mayor Terry Weickum announced the plan, which is essentially unchanged from the one put forward by city staff a week earlier.
Pictured above: File photo of Rawlins City Hall. Photo by Cali O’Hare/Bigfoot 99.
City Attorney Gwendolyn Wade clarified that the sitting council will vote for the nominees using the same process they used to elect the mayor and vice-mayor earlier this month—by secret, hand written ballots. The nominee garnering the most votes will be appointed to the vacant seat.
The Ward 2 seat is vacant after the winner of the general election, Tonya Lewman, chose not to be sworn into office on January 3rd because of the possible legal jeopardy of taking the oath after it was revealed that she accepted and documented an illegal campaign contribution.
After reading her statement at the first council meeting of the year, Lewman did not take the oath of office and the Ward 2 seat was vacated.
The city attorney was asked at last week’s special meeting to cite the state statute being used to fill the vacancy.
Wade added that the process to fill the seat will be by nominating and voting in open session using the same rules used to appoint the mayor and vice-mayor. Each member of the council shall have one vote.
The city attorney also explained the eligibility requirements, which involve using only the voter roll of Ward 2.
The vacant seat will be filled during the first council meeting of February.
Also at the special meeting, city council discussed several other matters, including discontinuing the practice of reading letters sent by the public to council—a policy adopted during the Covid year of 2020 when chambers were closed—but nothing was decided.
