Charlotte City Council opens application for vacant at-large seat

CHARLOTTE — Citizens can now apply to be an at-large representative on the Charlotte City Council. Leaders voted Monday night to open the application process for Councilman James Smuggie Mitchell’s vacant seat. Mitchell resigned last week to become president of RJ Leeper Construction.

[‘A cheerleader for Charlotte’: Councilman Mitchell steps aside after 20 years of service]

Click here to apply for Charlotte City Council’s vacant at-large seat.

Due to state statute, Mitchell’s replacement must be a registered Democrat, at least 21 years old and reside within the city limits.

Applications will be accepted until 5 p.m. Jan. 26. A public forum for applicants will be held during a special Charlotte City Council meeting on Jan. 29. The council will appoint a replacement on Feb. 1 and they will be sworn in the next day. The person appointed will serve until a new member is elected in the fall.

“We felt like it would be best to give you the opportunity to get someone on board as quickly as possible,” city attorney Patrick Baker said.

The Charlotte City Council cannot mandate that applicants not run for the at-large seat in the fall, but council members can ask applicants if they intend to do so. Council members Dimple Ajmera, Victoria Watlington and Braxton Winston said they will not consider each applicant’s potential political ambitions when deciding whether to appoint them to the at-large seat.

“If they’ve done a good job, and people chose to vote for them, I have no problem with that,” Watlington said. “I am looking for proven, courageous leaders who can adapt quickly.”

In the past, the council has shown a preference for applicants who are not interested in running for the seat they are applying to be appointed to. In 2017, Ajmera was appointed to fill former Councilman John Autry’s seat and former Council member Carlenia Ivory was appointed to former Councilman Al Austin’s District 2 seat.

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Mayor Pro Tem Julie Eiselt and Councilman Malcolm Graham said they prefer appointing someone to the Charlotte City Council who does not intend to run for the seat in the fall.

“I believe it creates an unfair advantage,” Eiselt said.

‘A cheerleader for Charlotte’: Councilman James Mitchell steps aside after 20 years of service

Cox Media Group