City Looking For New Council Member

The Newark City Council is looking to fill a vacant seat through an appointment process.

With four yes votes, the council voted Thursday night to go forward with an appointment rather than call for a special election to fill the council seat that became open when Mayor Alan Nagy was sworn into his current role.

The filing period to apply for the vacant council seat opens today.

Nagy was the first of the four council members to express a preference toward choosing an appointment process.

“Just because of practical considerations that if you were to have an election it would be a lot of money,” Nagy said.

If the council would have chosen to go forward with a special election, the estimated cost to the city would total more than $100,000, according to the council agenda.

Council members also cited that going for an election would be a lengthy process and that it would be at least six months until the vacant seat would be filled.

Applications for the seat can be picked up on weekdays between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. at the City Clerk’s office on the fifth floor of , 37101 Newark Blvd. The application will also be made available on the city’s website, www.newark.org.

Applicants are required to be a resident of Newark and a registered voter. The application includes a typewritten statement in which the applicant must state:

• Why he/she wants to be appointed
• His/her familiarity with the City of Newark’s organizations and projects
• His/her past governmental, political, occupational, community service or volunteer experience
• Applicable education
• His/her view of the city’s budgetary priorities.

All applicants must submit the form by 5 p.m. on Jan. 5.

Once applications are submitted, the council will hold a public interview of all the candidates.

The interviews are scheduled to be held at 6:30 p.m. on Jan. 19.