The Huntsville City Council has unanimously voted to keep the Ward One position vacant until the November 2023 elections. The seat became vacant after Daiquiri Beebe resigned on March 7, 2023, and the Council held a special meeting on March 13 to accept her resignation. Mayor Andy Brauninger stated that although several members of the public expressed interest in serving on the Council, they felt that the Council was capable of conducting business until Ward One voters could choose their representative.
“I feel very confident that we can get to the business at hand with the Council we have seated currently and let the voters make their decision when November gets here,” Mayor Pro Tem Russell Humphrey said.
However, Mayor Brauninger noted that there is a risk of the Council having a deadlock vote, which would result in a no vote for any action taken.
The general election’s first day for candidates to file is Saturday, July 22. Candidates can file at 8 a.m. on Monday, July 24, as the City of Huntsville is closed on Saturdays. The last day to file will be on Monday, Aug. 21, at 5 p.m. The last day to register to vote in the Nov. 7, 2023 election is Tuesday, Oct. 10.
The Mayor and all four Ward positions are also up for election in November. Candidates for Mayor must have lived within the city limits for 12 months before filing for election. Candidates can only file for Ward positions in which they live.
During the meeting, the Council approved the audit from Fiscal Year 21-22. They also waived two second readings of ordinances presented that did not have a deadline, including amending the Development Code to prohibit mobile advertising billboards and suspend the rates proposed by Centerpoint Energy. A public hearing on the code amendment was held at the beginning of the meeting, with no public participation.
The Huntsville City Council meets on the first and third Tuesdays of the Month at 6 p.m. at the Huntsville Public Library. For more information or full details of Huntsville City Council elections, log on to HuntsvilleTx.gov.
