A special election will be in August to replace recently deceased Burnsville City Council member Charlie Crichton.
Crichton, 83, died March 13 after being hospitalized with flu symptoms. he was less than three months into his current term. Crichton had been on the council since 1992.
Holding a special election will require a change in city ordinance. Council members, expecting a large number of candidates, opted Monday night for a primary, which will take place in July. The general election will be in late August. The exact timeline will be decided later this month.
“I think we’ve heard from many of our constituents that they would like a voice in this process, and I agree,” Mayor Elizabeth Kautz said.
Until the ordinance is changed, the current process for replacing a board member midterm is for the council to appoint someone.
But the four remaining members were in agreement that there was too much time left in Crichton’s term for that to be an option.
Kautz said she didn’t want to interfere in the democratic process.
“I don’t want to be appointing someone who also files for the seat and has the advantage of the incumbency,” she said.
Council members also considered eliminating the primary to save money, but in the end, they decided to go through the entire process.
City Attorney Joel Jamnik said there could be high interest in a large slate of candidates, which a primary would help winnow.
For example, 12 candidates have filed the required nominating petitions to replace Brooklyn Park Mayor Steve Lampi, who died March 1 of cancer, just three weeks after being diagnosed. The city did not hold a primary; the election is April 30.
If an appointment had been made in Burnsville, state law dictates that the seat would be up for election during the next regular general election in 2012. That would mean four of the five council members would be up for re-election at once.
“That’s too many,” council member Dan Kealey said.
Besides, Kealey said, residents should have the option of picking Crichton’s replacement.
“Charlie’s voice was unique on the council,” Kealey said. “We have to redo the election to allow democracy to be served here. I don’t see appointment as even an option.”
Money to cover the one-time expense of holding the special election will come from the city’s reserve fund.
“We have done a good job of making good decisions about having reserve funds for an emergency,” Kautz said. “And this is an emergency.”
Jessica Fleming can be reached at 651-228-5435.