City Council to Appoint Interim Mayor to Fill Jim Bernard's Vacancy

With Mayor Jim Bernard’s election to the Clackamas County Board of Commissioners, Mayor Bernard will resign from his post and City Council’s four remaining members will appoint an interim mayor to serve until the next election, which will take place in May of 2009.

The elected mayor will serve the remainder of Mayor Bernard’s fourth term, through November of 2010.

Mayor Bernard is expected to resign from City Council before Council’s Jan. 6, 2009 meeting. He will be seated as Clackamas County Commissioner on Jan. 8, 2009.

As described in the City Charter, a majority of Council is needed to appoint the interim mayor. That being the case, three votes will be needed to make the appointment. The Charter requires Council to make an appointment, so leaving the position vacant until the May election is not an option.

Once the position is vacant, and until the council fills the interim mayor position, the Council President presides. The charter requires the position of Council President to be filled at the first meeting of Council after the seating of any new elected members. Because both Councilors Greg Chaimov and Joe Loomis were elected to new four-year terms in the Nov. 4, 2008 election, a new Council President will be elected by the seated Councilors. This action is expected to take place at the Jan. 6, 2009 Council meeting.

Council can fill the vacant position of mayor with any citizen that meets the qualifications of elective officers: the person is a qualified elector of the state and has resided in the City during the six months immediately preceding the appointment.

Council may select the interim mayor from among the existing Councilors. If a member of Council is selected, that person must resign their council seat, which would in turn create another vacancy. In this event, both the mayor’s position, and the newly vacated Councilor position, would be contested in the May, 2009 election.