Lake Worth to set the Date for Special Election

Common Up
During the May 3, 2011, City Commission meeting, Vice Mayor Mulvehill announced that at 4:00 PM on May 3, 2011, Mayor René A. Varela resigned from the Office of Mayor.

In accordance with Article III, Section 5 of the City Charter, if there is more than six months remaining in the unexpired term and no general City election is scheduled, the City Commission shall fill the vacancy by a special election to be held no more than sixty (60) days following the occurrence of the vacancy. If a run-off election is necessary, it shall be scheduled two weeks after the special election.

Because Mayor Varela’s term would have expired in November 2011, and there is more than six months remaining on his term, a special election would have to be held no later than July 2, 2011. It is therefore requested that a special election be scheduled on June 28, 2011, to coincide with the Town of Lake Park’s special election in order to share in the Supervisor of Elections’ costs.

In addition, Section 2-19 of the Lake Worth Code of Ordinance provides for the qualifying period to begin no earlier than noon on the Tuesday exactly five weeks prior to the date of the election and no later than noon on the Tuesday exactly four weeks prior to the election.

Therefore, the qualifying period to fill the vacancy would begin at noon on May 24th and end at noon on May 31st.