Special Election To Fill Kip Tyner’s Tuscaloosa Council Seat Expected By Year’s End

TUSCALOOSA, AL — The Tuscaloosa City Council is expected to call a special election in the coming weeks to fill the District 5 seat left vacant following the death of longtime councilor and City Council President Kip Tyner.

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City of Tuscaloosa Executive Director of Strategic Communications Sarah Bridger Gilmore told Patch the council plans to formally call for the special election on Oct. 6.

No timetable has been given by the council regarding when it will vote on a new council president.

“Once the dates for qualifying, absentee voting, etc. are determined, we will send something out with all the dates and information about the election date,” Gilmore said. “We anticipate Election Day will be before the end of the year.”

As Patch previously reported, Tyner died Friday, Sept. 18, at age 70, leaving vacant the District 5 seat he had held for nearly three decades.

First elected in 1997, Tyner was serving his seventh consecutive term on the council and his second term as council president.

ALSO READ: Tuscaloosa Remembers Alberta Advocate, Animal Lover And Council President Kip Tyner

His tenure was closely associated with the Alberta community and included advocacy for projects such as the Tuscaloosa Tennis Center, improvements along University Boulevard East and the recruitment of SWJ Technology.

Tyner was also a longtime advocate for animal welfare and chaired the Tuscaloosa Metro Animal Shelter Advisory Committee.

Funeral arrangements for Tyner have not been announced at this time and Tuscaloosa Patch will publish details when they are made available.

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