With Johnson, Freel resigning amid election season, Casper City Council to select interim members
CASPER, Wyo. — Both Shawn Johnson and Steve Freel announced they are resigning from the Casper City Council this week because they are moving to new residences outside of their respective wards.
Their seats on the City Council are up for election this year, with voters set to decide who will serve four-year terms in those seats representing Ward II and Ward III.
On Tuesday, the City Council discussed what process it should follow to appoint replacements. Mayor Ray Pacheco suggested the City Council appoint someone who did not advance in Ward II or Ward III elections during the recent Primary Election.
Pacheco said he thought it would be best to avoid appointing someone seeking election in the General Election to avoid influencing its results.
While the council is required to appoint replacements for the vacant seats under state law, Councilmember Bruce Knell asked whether the decision could be delayed until the results of the General Election. That would allow the winners of those elections to temporarily be appointed in November until the four-year term they get elected for starts in January 2023.
The City Council discussed benefits and drawbacks to both options, with Councilmember Amber Pollock noting that the resignations came at a particularly difficult time between the Primary and General Election.
The City Council ultimately decided to go ahead and seek applications for temporary replacements. While anyone living in Ward II or Ward III can apply, the City Council will favor candidates who are not on the General Election ballot this November.
Applications will be accepted until Wednesday, Aug. 31. Depending on how many applications are received, the City Council will then conduct candidate interviews on either Sept. 6 or Sept. 7.
The suggestion came up during the work session that some former councilmembers could be appointed since the appointment is short-term. That would avoid needing to educate someone unfamiliar with the City Council processes on how business is conducted.
The City Council’s discussion can be reviewed in the video of the work session on the city’s YouTube channel: