- Salt Lake City is accepting applications for its City Council District 4 seat.
- Applications are open until June 1; position to be filled by June 11.
- The vacancy follows Eva Lopez Chavez's removal over the city determination that she moved out of the district.
SALT LAKE CITY — Utah's capital city is now taking applications to represent one of the more prominent City Council seats in the state, after its previous holder was booted from the council over a residency issue last week.
Salt Lake City on Monday opened its application process for City Council District 4, which represents downtown, Central City, East Central and Central Ninth neighborhoods. It will continue to receive applications through June 1, before the city picks a new member by June 11.
Applicants must be registered to vote and have lived within District 4 for at least 12 consecutive months before the appointment date, and remain in the district for the remainder of the term. There are a few other conditions, such as not being a current city employee and not being a convicted felon, among other things.
Candidates are asked to answer four questions within their application, such as what the top benefits and constraints are within the district. They must also fill out a conflict of interest statement that outlines employment and assets for transparency.
All candidates must apply in person at the city recorder's office within the Salt Lake City-County Building, 451 S. State, by 5 p.m. on June 1.
Members of the City Council pinned down other processes during a meeting on Thursday. They anticipate interviewing candidates on June 9, before potentially selecting a new council member later that day or during a meeting on June 11.
Whoever they select will fill in the remainder of former Councilwoman Eva Lopez Chavez's term, which was slated to expire in early 2028. Lopez was removed from her seat last week after the city determined that she "failed to maintain a primary place of residence" within her district, triggering an automatic vacancy of the position.
The investigation began after a resident flagged a home she had purchased in District 5 last year. She told constituents earlier this month that it was an investment property and that she had moved into the New Grand Hotel downtown. Her lawyers contended that she bounced around places within District 4 while she ran for Congress.
However, Salt Lake City Recorder Keith Reynolds ruled that she had not remained in the district, saying documents handed over by her team "raised additional questions" and didn't support residency claims.
The decision was handed down a week after Lopez was partially suspended amid an investigation into claims of misconduct against her.
Five women, including Salt Lake City Councilwoman Victoria Petro and Rep. Hoang Nguyen, D-Salt Lake City, told KSL last month that they were harassed, assaulted, or made uncomfortable by comments or actions of Lopez.
Lopez has denied any wrongdoing, and it wasn't immediately clear whether that investigation will continue after Lopez's seat was vacated.
