The City of Coralville is now taking applications to fill the vacancy on the city council left by the resignation of Jill Dodds last month. The council voted 3-1 at its meeting on Tuesday to fill the vacancy by an appointment rather than hold a special election.
During a discussion at the council’s May 10 work session, Johnson County Auditor Travis Weipert explained the earliest a special election could be held was Aug. 16. Since some councilmembers already have travel plans for the summer months, leaving the seat empty until mid-August raised the possibility meetings before an election might lack a quorum, preventing the council from taking any official votes or other action at those meetings. That, and the cost of a special election, which Weipert estimated to be between $20,000 and $25,000, as well as the likelihood an August election would have a low turnout, were reasons councilmembers gave on Tuesday for supporting an appointment.
Councilmember and Mayor Pro Tem Mitch Gross remained unpersuaded and was the sole dissenting vote.
Gross, along with councilmembers Laurie Goodrish, Hai Huynh, Mike Knudson and Mayor Meghann Foster all agreed that transparency would be the most important factor in the appointment process.
“If we do go this route, we have to be very clear about what that process is, making sure that it is as transparent as possible,” Foster said before the vote. “And I know that… we cannot write in the stipulation that the appointed individual does not run again, but I would advocate that that should factor heavily into our decision-making. And that should be a question that is asked of anyone that applies.”
Gross said he would also want a guarantee from an applicant not to run when the seat is next on the ballot in the 2023 general election, because he feels “the power of incumbency needs to be earned [from] the voters, not by appointment.”
The only requirements for applicants is that they are at least 18 years old and a resident of Coralville. An applicant does not need to live in a particular part of the city — all councilmembers serve in an at-large capacity — or a member of a political party, because all elected offices at the city level are officially nonpartisan in Iowa.
Application forms can be downloaded from the city’s website. In addition to providing basic information, applicants are asked to list “Experiences and/or activities which you feel qualify you for the city council,” as well as answer two questions: “What is your present knowledge of the city council?” and “What contributions do you feel you can make to the city council?” Applications must be received in the city clerk’s office by noon on Friday, June 3.
“The Mayor and City Council will conduct interviews of all applicants at a meeting at City Hall, 1512 7th Street, on Thursday, June 9, at 5:30 p.m.,” the city explained in a news release. “The City Council is expected to consider an appointment at the June 14 meeting and the successful candidate will take office upon approval. The term of office will expire in November 2023. Council members are currently paid $5,312 annually.”
Coralville residents who would prefer to see the empty seat filled by a special election still have an opportunity to make that happen. A petition with 396 signatures from eligible voters who live in Coralville would supersede the city council’s decision, and require the city to hold an election. But state law sets a limited timeframe for gathering signatures. The completed petition must be submitted to the city clerk’s office by Wednesday, June 8 to be considered valid. The petition form can be downloaded from the Iowa Secretary of State’s website.
Jill Dodds resigned from the Coralville City Council on April 26, following the arrest of her husband on two counts of sexual abuse of a minor. Dodds and her husband deny the charges.
At the April 26 council meeting, Dodds said “The mayor’s called for my resignation and the mayor pro tem concurs.” She added, “I know my resignation will make things easier for them, eliminate any drama,” and said she was disappointed that Foster and Gross “in their leadership roles … didn’t stand up for my freedom and my rights.”
Dodds had served on the Coralville City Council for a decade, and was elected to a third term in 2019 with 61 percent of the vote.
