Englewood council faces Sept. 27 deadline to fill District 3 vacancy

The Englewood City Council must appoint a replacement for late District 3 Councilmember Joe Anderson by Sept. 27 or order a special election, according to the city’s council-vacancy policy. A prior city estimate put the cost of such an election at $30,000 to $40,000.

The vacancy became official Aug. 28, Mayor said during the council’s Sept. 8 meeting. The council planned to open applications Sept. 9, accept them for about a week and review them during its Sept. 21 meeting. Interviews were planned for Sept. 22 and possibly Sept. 23, depending on the number of applicants, with an appointment expected that week.

The city’s council-vacancy policy requires the remaining council members to choose a “duly qualified person” by majority vote within 30 days. When authorized by a council majority, the city manager is to advertise the vacancy and make an application available online or through the City Clerk’s Office.

The policy also requires an open special meeting to interview candidates at least one week before the regular meeting at which the appointment is scheduled. Interviews are recorded and archived, and the public may attend but may not participate in the interview process.

If the council does not appoint someone within 30 days, the policy says the city must order an election. A Jan. 20 communication from the City Clerk’s Office about the previous District 1 vacancy estimated that election would cost $30,000 to $40,000 for ballot programming, mailed ballots, equipment and election-administration fees, the city document says. The figure is an estimate from the prior vacancy, not a District 3-specific cost projection.