The Forest City Council is faced with the daunting task of filling the mayor’s seat previously held by Byron Ruiter who passed away several weeks ago. According to City Attorney Steve Bakke who spoke to the council, there are a few options.
The council opted to table the matter because they have 60 days to decide how to approach the issue. This gives the council time to consider possible appointments or ponder the cost of a special election. If the council were to appoint one of their own, they could then appoint a replacement council person to fill that slot and avoid the cost of an election.
If the council appoints a mayor, the public has 14 days to petition for a special election, otherwise the appointee, once confirmed, would serve the remainder of Ruiters term which runs until December 31, 2023. The same would apply if a council person rose to fill the mayor’s seat and that replacement would serve out the council person’s term.
