Mayor To Appoint Successor To Edwards' Ward 2 Seat

Arnold Mayor Ron Counts will likely seek résumés from prospective candidates for the appointment to fill the Ward 2 Council seat of the late Jim Edwards.

Edwards, 72, died from stoke complications two weeks ago.

Edwards suffered a stroke at home Aug. 18, a few hours prior to a regularly scheduled city council meeting. He succumbed to complications from the stroke on Aug. 25. 

Edwards, a U.S. Army veteran, was buried at Jefferson Barracks National Cemetery with full military honors on Tuesday.

Ward 3 Councilman Phil Amato said the process to name a successor to the remaining year of Edwards’ term could take one of two tracks.  The mayor can either appoint a successor with council approval, or the mayor can request résumés from interested individuals then appoint a successor with council approval from among the résumés received.

Counts was out of town this week and could not be reached for comment.

Amato said the mayor would likely to solicit résumés after allowing some time to pass before appointing a successor.

“My understanding is he’s going to wait a little bit of time out of respect for Jim and his family, and then he’s going to appoint somebody,” Amato said. 

City Attorney Bob Sweeney said the process the mayor will choose remained unclear.

“The statutory process is the mayor makes an appointment, and the council approves it. But in terms of how the mayor is going to do that, I don’t know,” Sweeney said. “Historically, an announcement is made and solicitations are sought and someone is selected with the approval of the council.”

During Thursday night's City Council meeting at , 2101 Jeffco Blvd., Mayor Pro Tem Bill Moritz said Counts appointed councilmen to fill Edwards' vacant seats on the city's planning commission and liquor committee.

Counts appointed Moritz, who is also a Ward 2 Councilman, to the planning commission and Ward 1 Councilman Christine "Cricky" Lang to fill Edwards' seat on the liquor committee, Moritz said.

The planning commission reviews and approves proposed sites and building plans in Arnold. The liquor committee reviews liquor licenses for businesses. 

The city council approved Moritz's and Lang's appointments during the meeting Thursday night. 

Moritz also said Ward 2 residents interesting in completing Edwards' seat should sent their resumes to City Hall.

ArnoldPatch Editor Michael de los Reyes contributed to this article.