How will Des Moines fill Boesen's vacant at-large seat? The City Council is set to decide.
The Des Moines City Council will weigh whether to hold a special election or explore other options to fill the at-large seat following Connie Boesen's move to the mayor's office.
Boesen, 72, who was an at-large representative, was sworn in as the capital city's mayor on Jan. 8, following a November election where she edged out fellow council member Josh Mandelbaum. Boesen, who is the first woman to hold the office, replaced Des Moines' longest-serving mayor, Frank Cownie.
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Iowa law says the council can appoint a replacement within 60 days of a vacancy or hold a special election to fill the office for the remaining balance of the term. The at-large seat term expires at the end of 2025, according to city spokesperson Peter Zemansky. Unlike the ward seats, the at-large position represents the entire city and any Des Moines resident can run for election.
The City Council is slated to hold a discussion, to include "limited public input," at its meeting Monday on how it will fill the vacancy, according to a city resolution. Then it will take a vote between two options, according to the city:
Direct the city attorney to draft a resolution to hold a special election, which would then be voted on at the Feb. 5 council meeting.
Or take a different "council action" at its Feb. 5 meeting.
The meeting starts at 5 p.m. Monday at City Hall, 400 Robert D. Ray Drive.
Mandelbaum and at-large council member Carl Voss told the Des Moines Register on Friday they are in favor of a special election. The remaining council members and mayor did not immediately return requests for comment.
Virginia Barreda is the Des Moines city government reporter for the Register. She can be reached at vbarreda@dmreg.com. Follow her on Twitter at @vbarreda2.
This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: How will Des Moines fill Mayor Connie Boesen's vacant at-large seat?
