Northport Submits 3 Names To Governor For Open District 3 Seat

NORTHPORT, AL — The City of Northport has officially submitted to Gov. Kay Ivey the names of three candidates vying for the open District 3 City Council seat, which has yet to be filled after the appointment process resulted in a gridlock over the seven candidates.

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"Seven people expressed an interest and were interviewed by the City Council in February," City Administrator Glenda Webb wrote in the letter. "The City Council was unable to reach a decision to fill this position in the required sixty (60) days as set out in the enclosed statute."

Background reporting indicates that the three candidates whose names have been submitted received support from individual council members, but a consensus was never reached on a single candidate to appoint to the seat.

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These candidates are Jason Barksdale, Kevin Pate and Karl Wiggins. Click here to learn more about each individual candidate.

State law gives Ivey 30 days to make the selection from the list, with the City of Northport requesting the selection be made no later than very early in the week of March 27.

What's more, the law dictates that if the governor is unable or unwilling to make an appointment to the open seat within 90 days of the vacancy occurring, then the Tuscaloosa County probate judge will then be tasked with conducting a special election to fill the seat.

As Patch previously reported, the vacancy was the result of the abrupt resignation of former Mayor Bobby Herndon, which ultimately saw District 3 Councilman John Hinton elevated to the city's highest office.

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