Council vacancy proposition on ballot

First there were six proposed charter changes for Slidell voters to decide on. Now there are seven.

Tuesday night, the City Council passed an amended version of the resolution it passed on Aug. 12.

Two weeks ago, the council agreed to put six proposed charter changes on the Nov. 4 ballot. The one change that failed to get on the ballot addressed how the city would fill a vacancy on the council. The original change would have the council appoint someone to fill the vacancy 15 days after the vacancy occurred.

However, some council members objected to the change because it would allow the appointee to run for the office during the regular election.

Councilman Richard Hursey said the appointee would have an unfair advantage over other candidates.

Tuesday night, the amended proposition said the appointee would not be able to run for the council seat. The resolution passed 6-0. Council President Ray Canada and Councilwoman Kim Harbison were absent.

The council also approved another change in the proposition that would call for an election if the vacancy occurred with 18 months, not 12 months, left on the term. If that happens, the appointee would serve until the election to fill the vacancy.

Besides the proposition on filling a council vacancy, voters will also decide on propositions on filling the vacancy of the mayor and filling the vacancy of the chief of police. Other charter changes facing the voters in November deal with the time needed for the mayor to either sign or veto a bill before it becomes law; how the city will incur debts through bond issues; elections on initiatives ordinances; and getting rid of the City Code of Ethics and replacing it with the State Code of Ethics.