The Stuart City Commission remains split on how to fill a vacant board seat left behind after former Mayor Christopher Collins resigned to pursue a Martin County Commission seat.
Collins announced his resignation April 30, prompting discussion among commissioners this week over whether to temporarily appoint someone to the seat or leave it vacant until the upcoming election.
City Attorney Lee Baggett told commissioners they could either appoint a temporary replacement or wait for voters to decide during the election cycle because of how close the city is to the midterms.
“The next election is less than 120 days, so you have the option of waiting until the election for the electorate to vote for the replacement,” Baggett said.
The vacancy leaves the commission with four members, raising the possibility of deadlocked votes during meetings over the coming months.
Commissioner Laura Giobbi argued the city should avoid that scenario and proposed temporarily appointing Deana Peterson to the commission. Giobbi arrived at the meeting with Peterson’s resume and said the city would benefit from having a fifth vote during the summer months.
“I think that she would be a great temporary assignment to the commission over the summer when we might have some issues that need to be resolved in a majority and not wind up being two on one side of the coin and two on the other where nothing will be resolved,” Giobbi said. “That is a very poor place, I think, for the city to be.”
Peterson currently serves as chair of the local planning agency and said she would step away from that position if appointed to the commission temporarily.
Other commissioners, however, questioned whether appointing someone for only a few months would create additional complications as the city prepares for budget discussions.
Commissioner Eula Clark said she was concerned about bringing in a new commissioner during budget season, referencing past situations involving newly elected officials navigating the process for the first time.
“For the next few months, we can definitely come together and work this through in June and July,” Clark said. “We’re going to have the budget and some other things, and I’m very concerned when you bring somebody in here, and we have the situation that we have when we had two new commissioners, and they’re saying, ‘I didn’t get a chance to vote on the budget. I didn’t get a chance to ask questions, so I’m not in favor of this. I’m not in favor of that.’”
Commissioner Campbell Rich also opposed making a temporary appointment, saying the city should wait for voters to fill the position permanently.
“I don’t feel there’s any need. We’re very close to the election. Let the people’s voice be heard. We just need to move forward as we are currently constructed,” Rich said.
Giobbi pushed back, saying a four-member board without a majority could prevent the commission from effectively conducting business.
“The residents’ voice will be heard. This is not electing a person. This is a temporary position, and I could live with one to three when I vote. That’s fine because that’s a majority,” she said. “We now sit with no majority, and that is really not acceptable, and I don’t think that the people of Stuart want to sit here twice a month and watch maybe nothing get passed because there is no majority on a particular issue.”
The discussion ended without a decision. Commissioners agreed to revisit the issue during their May 26 meeting, when they plan to consider Peterson’s application and any additional candidates who may apply.
Commissioners also discussed appointing a new vice mayor after Sean Reed became mayor, though motions to fill that position failed to advance.