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<br />have an election on the bi-annual Municipal election date. Theoretically, someone could resign <br />inJanuary 2007, a,new member could be appointed and then be up for re-election in 2008. The <br />Charter Commission voted that down. Th~n Commissioner Deemer proposed that if there must <br />be a special election, that it at least be held in November. The Commission said no to that too. <br />This would be a fairly rare instance. It's never happened in Ramsey in the 25 years it has been a <br />Charter City. We now have a primary election and we now have seven Councilmembers; <br />therefore, these are some housekeeping issues we have delved into. In November, we had a <br />discussion about. cleaning this up and addressing our concerns. These have all created a need for <br />change. <br /> <br />Chair LaMere commented on the Ward system that came into effect in the last few years making <br />a difference also. <br /> <br />Commissioner Cleveland commented that' in doing some research into some other cities with <br />Charters, it appears that when a seat is up for re-election and someone vacates that seat 120 days <br />or less before the November election, the City does offer the seat immediately to the person <br />when they are voted in. Other cities have had primaries for a special election for. seats that open <br />up. . They have three weeks in which to notify the public that the seat is open. It has to be <br />published three times. They file for candidacy and if there are more than two candidates, a <br />primary will be held. If the vacant seat was not up for re-election and the candidacy has been <br />filed for - three weeks notification and that candidate can be placed on the November ballot. <br /> <br />Attorney Goodrich stated with regard to notification - that the language states it shall be <br />published as soon as is practicable. <br /> <br />Commissioner Cleveland felt the Commission should talk about and set specifics. She felt that <br />three consecutive publications was a good number for a seat that is not normally up for an <br />election in November. <br /> <br />Attorney Goodrich referred to the first paragraph where it says there will be a special election. If <br />avacancy occurs in mid-July and it is for a seat that will be voted on in November - the seat <br />vacancy is said not to exist. If it is an at-large seat, the feeling was that this would be okay; . <br />however, it was suggested that this might be too long a time for a ward not to be represented. He <br />stated that the Commission has laid out what it wants to do with that first sentence. Now we will <br />talk about the second sentence. <br /> <br />Commissioner Deemer stated we have a ward seat not up for election - maybe the at-large <br />Councilmember not up for an election be automatically appointed to that ward until the election <br />is held. <br /> <br />Commissioner Cleveland talked' about the official notice and starting the election' process - <br />acknowledging the vacancy. <br /> <br />Commissioner Deemer stated that because of the time it takes - let's just leave it at November. <br />The argument against it would be if you are leaving a ward unrepresented for a longer period of <br />time. <br /> <br />Charter Commission/February 21, 2008 <br />Page 3 of6 <br />