A special election will now be held to fill the Washington City Council Ward 1 seat following Tuesday night’s council meeting.

Mayor Jaron Rosien explained that a resolution to call a special election was put on the agenda as word had been received that a petition with enough signatures to call for an election would be filed once publication would be made of the council’s intention to fill by appointment on February 15th. Deran DeLong and Bethany Glinsmann have publicly submitted their interest in the seat vacated by Danielle Pettit-Majewski. A 3-2 motion for appointment passed at their January 25th meeting, with Council Members Steven Gault, Elaine Moore, and Fran Stigers in favor. Rosien explained that this week’s resolution would nullify last week’s action and would speed up the process for a special election, “As council knows I did lobby for appointment for the number of reasons I thought appointment would be best. I changed my mind on what I’m advising, because the landscape changed. The desire for special election changed, the absence that we were going to face, that quorum issue that also changed. For that reason I’ve put it on here that way we could decide again.”

City Administrator Deanna McCusker commented that a special election is a given, and the council voted 3-2 for an election with Moore this time in favor. The county requires 32 days notice for an election, which would put the city past March 1st when a bond referendum is being held for the Mid-Prairie School District. However, elections to fill vacancies may be held on any Tuesday except for the four Tuesdays before and after the primary and general elections. The Ward 1 term ends in 2023.