Simplified: City Councilor Sarah Cole announced her resignation earlier this month effective Dec. 3. As she leaves to take a job out-of-state, she leaves an absence on the eight-member council that her fellow councilors will decide how to fill. Here's a look at how that process will work.
Why it matters
- The City Charter, the governing document for Sioux Falls, dictates that the City Council has authority to appoint someone to fill a vacant seat, but it doesn't necessarily specify how that process shakes out.
- Councilors Rich Merkouris and Jennifer Sigette on Thursday told reporters their plans for how the appointment will go. Essentially, any person can be nominated, but they have to be nominated by at least two sitting City Council members.
- Councilors also clarified that there’s nothing in the charter that would prevent someone being appointed who might run in the City Council election in 2026. However, it’s unlikely someone actively campaigning would be selected for the seat.
"For anybody in the public thinking we're going to handpick the next person and give a particular candidate exposure, I don't think that will be the case," Sigette said.
Tell me more
Councilors said the ideal candidate would be someone who’s previously served on the City Council, of which there are about 20 to 25 around who’d be eligible.
“It'd be an opportunity for us to appoint someone who's been previously elected so the public is probably familiar with them and can engage with them," Merkouris said, noting that since the term is only about six months, it'd be best to have someone who already knows the processes of city government.
Merkouris and Sigette both said they've talked to former councilors who expressed interest, but no specific names were shared during the press briefing.
Once all of the nominees are in and comments have been heard from both nominees and the public, councilors will do a roll call vote similar to how they elect council leadership in which everyone shares the name of the person for whom they're voting.
What happens next?
If you have an interest in filling the seat, reach out to sitting councilors about a potential nomination. The nominated person doesn't have to be a former councilor, but it does sound like those folks are more likely to get the votes.
If you want to weigh in on the nominees, plan to attend the regular council meeting on Dec. 9 when nominees are expected to be considered.
