Council has until Sept. 5 to fill vacancy left by Jim Dokken with an appointment or election

WILLMAR - Interim City Administrator Kevin Halliday said Thursday that the Willmar City Council has 45 days in which to fill the vacancy created Wednesday afternoon by the resignation of Fourth Ward council member Jim Dokken.
Dokken’s resignation was made effective at 4:14 p.m. Wednesday in a letter submitted to Interim City Administrator Kevin Halliday and sent to the seven other council members by Mayor Marv Calvin.
Halliday said Thursday that the resignation message in the letter satisfies City Charter requirements for such a resignation; therefore Halliday said a vacancy exists in the Fourth Ward seat formerly held by Dokken, with the four-year term expiring in January 2017. With fewer than two years remaining in Dokken’s term, the process to fill the now vacant seat is straightforward under the charter, Halliday said.
According to the charter, the council must act within 45 days (on or before Sept. 5) to either: (1) appoint an eligible person to fill the vacancy for the remainder of Dokken’s term (a new term after municipal elections in 2016 will start Jan. 9, 2017); or (2) schedule a special election to be held within 90 days to fill the vacancy for the remainder of Dokken’s term.
Because fewer than two years remain in Dokken’s term at the time of his resignation, there is no requirement that the city hold a special election to fill the vacancy for the remainder of the term under Section 2.06, subdivision 4 of the charter, said Halliday. However, the City Council is free to decide to call a special election to fill the vacancy if it wishes to do so, Halliday said.
If the council chooses to call a special election to fill the vacancy, charter provisions govern such special election, Halliday said.
For a special election held at a time other than a regular municipal election, candidates must file for office no later than four weeks before the election; no primary will be held; the candidate receiving the highest number of votes is elected; and the election must be held on a Tuesday.
Support for a special election was voiced Thursday by Jessica Rohloff, president of the Willmar League of Women Voters.
“The League would like to go on record stating we would support the most transparent, open process for filling the vacancy, which we believe is allowed for in the City Charter,’’ Rohloff said. “We would be in full support of the council calling for an election. We think it would be a good opportunity for an open, fully public participatory process to fill the seat to try to help repair the rift that seems to be happening in the community.’’
The city has four wards, with two council members serving from each ward. The Fourth Ward generally covers the southeast area of Willmar. Councilwoman Audrey Nelsen also represents Ward 4.
Dokken had served on the council since 1998 and was most recently re-elected in the Nov. 6, 2012, general election. Dokken retired after a military career in the U.S. Air Force and a private business career in Willmar. On the council, Dokken served on the Finance Committee and on the Labor Relations Committee.
In his letter, Dokken said he has been honored to serve the citizens of the Fourth Ward and the City of Willmar for many years.
“It has been a pleasure working with all of you and I know you have the best interests of the people of Willmar at heart. Despite my desire to accompany you in future endeavors, my body has told me it is time to stop. The good Lord has granted me almost 80 years’ life and my family now needs me for those years I have left,’’ he wrote.
“I respectfully resign my position with the Willmar City Council and ask the city administrator to instruct me how I may do so in a manner where I resign in good standing,’’ he wrote.