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SALT LAKE CITY — Members of the Salt Lake City Council are starting to piece together how they will fill the District 7 seat when current Salt Lake City Councilwoman Amy Fowler's resignation takes effect next month.
Though residents in District 7 can work on their applications now, the council agreed Tuesday to begin accepting applications on June 26, a little more than a week before Fowler will step down from office. Residents in District 7 will have until July 10 to apply for the job before interviews begin on July 13, which is also the earliest possible selection date. The council has until Aug. 2 to select someone to fill in the vacancy for the remainder of the year, per state code.
The final two years of the term will be determined by an election in November. All candidates have until Aug. 15 to file paperwork to be included in the election. District 7 covers the city's southeast section, including Sugar House.
Fowler, who was charged with driving under the influence of alcohol in Springville after she was arrested on May 3, announced last week that she would step down on July 3, after the city completes its 2024 fiscal year budget. She explained in a statement that she wants her district to be "fully represented" as the City Council finalizes its budget by June 30.
She has been absent from City Council meetings since she announced she would take a 30-day break on May 9.
It's unclear who will fill Fowler's seat, though it appears there is some interest in the job. During Tuesday's meeting, Salt Lake City Council staff members said the city has already fielded a few calls about how to apply for the soon-to-be-open seat. Residents within the district can sign up for email updates on the process through a website set up by the city.
Staff explained that the council can use ranked-choice voting or multiple rounds of voting to determine its pick for the temporary replacement. The person that the council chooses can be sworn in as early as the day of the council decision.
Members of the council sorted out the questions that they will ask all the candidates once the interviewing process begins during the meeting, as they seek to find someone who will best represent the district before residents can vote.
Interestingly enough, half of the other six members of the council went through the replacement process in one way or another. Salt Lake City Council members Darin Mano and Ana Valdemoros each started as replacements for previous members before being reelected. Councilman Alejandro Puy unsuccessfully went through the process in 2021 only to win a special election later in the year.
Salt Lake City Council Vice Chairwoman Victoria Petro also started out as a replacement; however, she was sworn in to complete the final eight weeks of an open District 1 term only after she had won a general election in 2021 for her current term.
