Committee of the Whole will convene to review process for filling 1st District vacancy
WILMINGTON– On Friday, Feb, 15 at 4:30 p.m., the Wilmington City Council is convening a Committee of the Whole to review the process for filling the 1st District vacancy.
The vacancy on the Council came as the result of former Councilman Nnamdi Chukwuocha being elected to the Delaware General Assembly in November.
The Committee of the Whole is now charged with selecting a candidate to fill the Council vacancy in accordance with the requirements outlined in the recently passed ordinance sponsored by Councilwoman Michelle Harlee, who represents the City’s 4th District.
According to the ordinance, the following are the procedures to fill city council vacancies:
The Committee of the Whole of City Council, chaired by the President of City Council, shall be charged with selecting a candidate to fill the vacancy in accordance with the requirements outlined in the City Charter section 2-101.
a. The Committee of the Whole shall:
- Accept recommendations from members of Council in accordance with the requirements of subsection (1)b of this section;
- Accept resumes and letters of intent, during a specified time period, from persons who are qualified pursuant to the City Charter;
- Interview each qualified person;
- Each member of the Committee of the Whole shall identify up to three candidates to fill the vacancy. The candidates shall be identified using an identifier, other than the candidate’s name, which will be assigned to each candidate.
b. Recommend a person by majority vote of the members of the Special Committee of the Whole; and
c. Follow the requirements for appointment of a person to fill a council vacancy, pursuant to the City Charter.
d. The vacancy shall be certified by resolution.
e. The committee of the whole shall propose by resolution its recommendation of a person to fill the vacancy for vote by the full body of City Council. The resolution must be approved by a majority vote of all the members of City Council.
f. If the resolution fails to be approved, the Committee of the Whole shall reconvene and propose by resolution another recommendation of a person who it previously interviewed to fill the vacancy for a vote by the full body of City Council. The resolution must be approved by a majority vote of all members of city council. The Committee of the Whole shall repeat this procedure until the vacancy is filled.
g. While the procedures set forth in this section are taking place, if the City Council vacancy is for a Councilmanic District, the At-Large Council Member living in or closest to the district in which there is a vacancy will respond to and assist residents in that district until the vacancy is filled.
The Committee of the Whole meeting will take place in the Council Chambers on the first floor of the Louis Louis L. Redding City/County Building, located at 800 N. French Street.
Contact:
Marchelle Basnight
Council Chief of Staff
302.576.2140
mbasnigh@wilmingtonde.gov