ROGERS -- Four people so far have applied to fill the City Council vacancy in Ward 4 in the southeastern section of the city, Mayor Greg Hines said after Tuesday's council meeting.
Those applications are public records and city staff will provide those applicants' names today, plus the names of others as they apply, Hines said.
The council formally declared a vacancy in Ward 4 at its Tuesday meeting. The chosen replacement will serve the rest of the term of council member Betsy Reithemeyer, who switched from Ward 4 to Ward 1 in a recent redrawing of ward boundaries. Any appointee will be eligible for reelection.
The council appointed Reithemeyer to fill an earlier vacancy on the eight-member council left by Mark Kruger, who died May 1. Two council members represent each of the city's four wards. Both Reithemeyer's and Kruger's terms of office were set to expire at the end of 2024. Reithemeyer's appointed term will end on that same date, and so will her replacement's term.
The deadline for applying for an appointment to the vacant Ward 4 seat is noon June 2, the city announced last week. Interested candidates should be available to meet with the council at its meeting at 6:30 p.m. June 13 or earlier if a special council meeting is called.
Interested candidates may deliver their resumes to Rogers City Clerk Jessica Rush or email them to [email protected]. The online application for general city employment isn't required for this appointed position.
The council still may call a special election, but the times those elections can be called are limited by state law, according to Benton County Election Coordinator Kimberly Dennison. The council would have to decide by May 30 to organize an election on Aug. 8, she said. Any later and the next available date would be Nov. 13 because of restrictions in state law, she said.
The council has no meetings scheduled before its next regular meeting on June 13. The council's decision to accept applications and to set the deadline at June 2 indicates a decision to appoint a replacement is likely, Hines said.
According to Arkansas law and the Rogers City Code, the candidate for appointment to this vacancy must be a U.S. citizen, a registered voter of Benton County and a resident of Ward 4. Go online at bit.ly/3ofOANI for a map of city wards.
An appointment also requires filling out a statement of financial interest, located at www.sos.arkansas.gov/elections/financial-disclosure/.
Salary for the position is $1,173 per month. Insurance benefits are also available.