Tulsa Standard

The Broken Arrow City Council is considering who should fill the Ward 4 City Council seat following the resignation of Councilor Joe Franco on May 12.

According to the state statute, the City has two options when a vacancy occurs in an elected Council position.

The first option is that the remaining governing body members appoint a person within 60 days of the resignation until the next general municipal election.

The appointed person must meet the qualifications required for filing a declaration of candidacy for that office, including being a registered voter and a resident of Ward 4 for at least six months before the appointment.

To exercise this option requires a majority vote of the current Council approving the appointment by July 11, 2023. The appointed representative would then serve until April 1, 2025, the City’s next general election date.

On Tuesday, April 1, 2025, the City of Broken Arrow voters would select a person to finish the rest of the unexpired term.

The second option to fill the seat is through a Special Election. According to City Attorney Trevor Dennis, the earliest a special election could be held according to state statute would be Sept. 12.

“A resolution calling for a special election would have to be posted and turned into the election board by July 13,” Dennis said.

If the Council calls for a Special Election to fill the vacancy, the winner would fill the term ending at noon on April 19, 2027.

City Clerk Curtis Green estimated the cost of a special election would be approximately $45,000. The City is currently working on the Fiscal Year 2024 budget. City Manager Michael Spurgeon indicated that the budget would have to be amended to pay the cost of a special election if the City Council chooses that option to fill the seat.

On May 16, the Council tabled a decision on how to fill the open seat to consider further the options that are in the best interest of the residents. You can watch the discussion during the meeting on the video player below.

Franco defeated incumbent Councilor Scott Eudey on April 4, 2023, and took the oath of office on April 18. He resigned in person on May 12, citing personal reasons.

Original source can be found here.