The best criteria for filling a vacancy

Monday, February 13, 2012

The St. Marys City Council finds itself now in just about the same position that the DuBois City Council was in late last year, a need to fill a vacancy and a difference of opinion about what not being elected really does mean.

Last year, Ed Walsh won two separate seats on the DuBois council, and chose the four-year term. It ended up that the members of council appointed a former councilman who had been defeated in an election. That decision was praised - and criticized.

Now in St. Marys, Gwen Auman was elected despite having moved and therefore become ineligible, but too late to have her name removed from the ballot.

So Tom Farley, who finished fourth in a four-way race for three seats, is being supported for appointment by three council members. The other three members vigorously oppose just giving the seat to Farley because of that fourth-place finish, without advertising to see if someone else might be a better fit.

Did Farley do a good job on the council in his previous tenure? One resident, Richard Bille, said yes, at last week's meeting.

He could be right.

But some St. Marys residents were miffed that Farley chose to run even though it was debatable whether he had sat out for a full term after having served two terms, a Home Rule Charter requirement.

Mayor Sally Geyer raised the interpretation that Farley finished fourth in the election precisely because quite a few voters preferred to see someone else in the seat.

She could be right.

To its credit, the Vacancy Board voted 4-3 to advertise for candidates, and invite Farley to apply. Candidates must send letters of intent to the Vacancy Board by Wednesday.

So what should happen? Should Farley be given preference because he finished "next-highest"?

We think not.

However, that ought not to be held against him, either.

The council ought to see who is interested in serving, ask why, review qualifications, and choose the person most likely to help to guide St. Marys in responsible, progressive and nonconfrontational fashion during the coming years, without more than passing attention to past election results.

Whatever decision is reached will not please everyone. It need not do so. It just needs to sit well with the majority of residents.

Though there was some grumbling in DuBois last year, all the interested applicants were qualified, creating the pleasant problem of choosing the best-qualified, not avoiding an unqualified applicant.

We hope St. Marys is similarly blessed.

- Denny Bonavita