Chehalis City Councilor Jerry Lord was honored during the city council meeting on Monday, Oct. 23, as it was his last meeting following the announcement of his resignation earlier this month due to him moving out of the city.
“Thank you for your public service as a member of the city council,” Chehalis Mayor Tony Ketchum said to Lord while presenting him with an honorary plaque.
Later during the meeting, Chehalis City Clerk Kassi Mackie explained the procedure the council will use to choose Lord’s replacement along with the requirements for candidates interested in applying for the position.
Lord was originally elected in 2020 after beating former Chehalis City Councilor Terry Harris. Serving as the city’s District 1 councilor, Lord had filed to run for re-election earlier this year.
While it’s too late to take his name off the ballots, a write-in candidate could still win if they do enough campaigning before election day to beat Lord in the vote count, according to the Lewis County Auditor’s Office.
Should no write-in candidate win during November’s general election, Mackie told the councilors the specific requirements Lord’s replacement must meet.
Candidates must reside within District 1 of the city, cannot currently hold other public offices or be employed by the city and must have been a city resident and registered to vote in Chehalis for at least one year preceding their appointment to the council.
“The individual that’s appointed to this seat will hold the office for the remainder of the unexpired term, or until November 2025, which is the next municipal election,” Mackie said.
According to state law, the city will have 90 days to choose Lord’s replacement following the official date of his resignation, Nov. 6. Chehalis District 1 residents interested in the position have until Jan. 11, 2024, to submit their applications.
Once applications are received, the Chehalis City Council will hold a special meeting on Jan. 18 to interview candidates and vote to choose the new councilor, who will then be sworn in during the regular city council meeting scheduled for Jan. 22.
Should the council be unable to choose a new councilor within the first 90 days, the Lewis County commissioners will have the responsibility of choosing a councilor within 180 days of Lord’s resignation, according to state law.
Applications will be available at Chehalis City Hall and on the city’s website by Thursday, Oct. 26, Mackie said. Chehalis City Hall is located at 350 N. Market Blvd. in downtown Chehalis.
To view the Chehalis council district map, visit https://www.ci.chehalis.wa.us/citycouncil/council-district-map.
