Council Members ‘looking forward to’ Committee of the Whole meeting to recommend candidate to fill long vacant 1st District seat
WILMINGTON– On Friday at 4:30 p.m. the entire body of the Wilmington City Council will convene as a Committee of the Whole to participate in the selection process for filling the vacancy in the 1st District.
“This seat has been open since November, so I’m glad we came up with a resolution to pick someone to represent the 1st District,” said Councilwoman Zanthia Oliver, who represents the City’s 3rd District. “It’s been dragging on and we need to move forward with other pressing issues.”
The vacancy on the Council came as the result of former Councilman Nnamdi Chukwuocha being elected to the Delaware General Assembly in November.
To fill the vacancy, the City Charter called for the Council President to appoint members to a special Ad Hoc committee made up of five members of city council including president, who served as Chair.
The process was also closed to the public.
After more than a month of extensive outreach, reviewing letters of interest, resumes, and spending two days interviewing candidates, the City Council rejected the Ad Hoc committee’s recommendation to fill the seat.
Council Members would later decide the selection process should include the entire council and be open to the public.
Thanks to legislation sponsored by Councilwoman Michelle Harlee, the Committee of the Whole is now charged with selecting a candidate to fill the Council vacancy and the public is invited to view the process.
“I’m really looking forward to us selecting a replacement that not only we as the body of Council can get behind, but a representative the residents of the 1stDistrict can support as well,” said Councilwoman Harlee, who represents the 4th District. “Then we can get back to business.”
The Committee of the Whole meeting will take place in the Council Chambers on the first floor of the Louis L. Redding City/County Building, located at 800 N. French Street.
“The process will be open to the public, which was a major sticking point from the beginning,” said Councilman Bud Freel. “With that issue addressed and all members of Council taking part in the interviewing process, we should be able to select a candidate we can all agree upon.”
MEDIA CONTACT
Marchelle Basnight
Council Chief of Staff
302.576.2140
mbasnigh@wilmingtonde.gov