KANSAS CITY, Mo. — The by-then newly sworn in members of the Independence City Council are set to vote Monday on an ordinance for a special election to fill the vacancy left by the death of Karen DeLuccie.
DeLuccie, who was re-elected to her at-large council position during the April 5 elections, died earlier this week after a short battle with cancer.
Monday’s council meeting will be called to order by the existing council and outgoing Mayor Eileen Weir. The outgoing members, which includes outgoing at-large Councilmember Mike Huff, will start the meeting and conduct old business before the new council is sworn in.
Once the new council is sworn in, they’ll attend to new business, which will include an ordinance that, if passed, would call for a special election to fill DeLuccie’s seat. The special election would include a primary election on Aug. 2 and a general election on Nov. 8.
Earlier Thursday, outgoing at-large Councilman Huff filed a petition with Jackson County saying that he should be awarded DeLuccie’s seat.
In the petition, Huff said that by the time the Jackson County Board of Election Commissioners had certified the results of the April 5 election, DeLuccie had already become incapacitated due to her illness. Huff contends that because of her inability to serve, election commissioners should have not certified her for re-election.
Huff finished third in the April 5 election from a field of four to fill two seats on the council.
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