Ankeny City Council Votes to Fill Mayoral Vacancy by Appointment

The Ankeny City Council last night made official its intentions to appoint an individual to be the next mayor of Ankeny.

At last night's city council meeting, the council voted to appoint someone to fill the seat of outgoing Ankeny Mayor Steven Van Oort.

Van Oort recently was elected to the Polk County Board of Supervisors. His last day as mayor is Dec. 7.

In a press release issued by the city of Ankeny Tuesday, council members said they consider an appointment to be the most practical way to fill the vacancy.

“The City has important work to do in the coming months including our annual strategic goal setting retreat and the budget,” said Councilman Mark Holm. “Having an experienced and competent individual help facilitate this work is important to us and more importantly to the citizens we serve.”

The appointee will serve the remainder of the term which ends Dec. 31, 2013.

Ankeny residents interested in the position can submit a letter of interest to Ankeny City Clerk Pam DeMouth. All letters should be submitted by Nov. 30 and should include the following:

• Name
• Address
• Phone number
• Email
• Experience

Should the city council formally decide to appoint a replacement, Ankeny residents can still petition the council for a special election.

To hold a special election, petitions must be filed with the city clerk within 14 days after the appointment is made.