City Council Schedules Special Meeting to Interview Fifth Ward Councilmember Candidates

(May 26,2020 11:01 AM) A special meeting of the Jackson City Council is planned for Wednesday, May 27 at 6:00 p.m. to interview candidates for the vacant Fifth Ward City Council seat. Due to continued COVID-19 concerns and the closure of City Hall, this meeting will take place virtually, with councilmembers, officials, and interview candidates participating in an online video conference.

This council seat, which represents Downtown Jackson and its surrounding neighborhoods, has been vacant since the April resignation of former Councilmember Kelsey Heck. The City Charter indicates that council vacancies are to be filled by appointment by the City Council. However, the council has tasked the Charter Review Committee with looking into how this charter rule can be changed to allow for special elections to fill council vacancies.

In this special meeting, councilmembers will interview three candidates for the council seat. Fifth Ward residents Karen Bunnell, Susan Murdie and Peter Bormuth will all be interviewed and considered for the position. Whoever is appointed will fill out the rest of this seat’s term, which is up for re-election in Nov. 2021.

This virtual meeting will be livestreamed on the City’s Facebook page and website. Residents may submit public comments by sending written comments to the email address clerksoffice@cityofjackson.org by 5:00 p.m. on May 27. Please include the subject line “5/27/20 Special Meeting”. Written comments may also be submitted to the City Hall drop box by 5:00 p.m. the day of the meeting. Written public comments will be read aloud during the meeting with a 3 minute time limit.

The City of Jackson will announce if a new councilmember is selected at this meeting.