City Announces Special Election to Fill Council Seat Vacated by Bill Richardson

SAN ANGELO, TX — The vacancy in the San Angelo City Council’s District 1 seat will be filled during a special election May 6 to be held at the same time as a previously scheduled election to fill four other seats.

The filing period for the now vacant District 1 seat for candidates will be from 8 a.m. Monday through 5 p.m. March 27 in the City Clerk's office on the second floor of City Hall, 72 W. College Ave. The office is open 8 a.m.-noon and 1 p.m.-5 p.m. weekdays.

City officials this morning discovered a provision in the Texas Constitution that requires vacancies on a city’s governing body to be filled by a special election if the unexpired term is more than 12 months. The provision expressly forbids such vacancies from being filled by appointment.

While the City of San Angelo’s charter, which is akin to its constitution, allows for filling vacancies by appointment if the term is longer than a year, the state constitution takes precedence.

District 1 City Councilman Bill Richardson submitted a written resignation on Saturday to Mayor Dwain Morrison. The City Council will consider accepting the resignation at a specially called meeting at 8:30 a.m. Thursday at City Hall. The Council will consider calling a special election to fill the seat when it meets at 8:30 a.m. Tuesday, March 7, at the McNease Convention Center.

The term in the District 1 seat expires in May 2019.

City Clerk Bryan Kendrick, the City’s chief elections officer, said there remains enough time to call the special election to be held in conjunction with the May 6 City Council election. That election will fill the mayor’s post and the District 2, 4 and 6 seats for the next four years.

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Filing instructions added as the second paragraph in update at 11:25 am.