BOONE, Iowa—Plans by the Boone City Council to fill a vacancy on the council will now change to setting up a special election.  City officials have reported that a petition requesting a special election has been received and verified.  City Administrator Bill Skare says the Boone County Auditor’s Office has been notified and the city will work with the Auditor to set up the special election.

The vacancy on the Council was created with the resignation of 4th Ward Council Member Kevin Hicks.  The Council has set a deadline of Friday, May 22nd for 4th Ward residents interested in being considered for appointment to the council, to submit a resume’ or letter of interest.  The plan was to collect the information and have the Council select someone to fill the vacancy until the November Municipal election.

Residents of the 4th Ward had the option to petition for a special election.  There is a set time frame for a petition to be submitted and that was met on Thursday.  It was required that the petition contained enough valid signatures from the 4th ward, 15% of the number of votes obtained by Hicks in the last municipal election, which it did.

Skare says the Council will take steps at their April 1st meeting to set the special election after which interested candidates will be able to file papers to be on the ballot.  Only voters in the 4th ward will be voting in the special election.