DES MOINES, Iowa — Des Moines City Council voted unanimously Monday night to set a special election date to fill the vacancy left by Indira Sheumaker, who recently resigned.
Sheumaker wrote in a resignation letter dated Aug. 31 following months of absences at council meetings: "I resign from my position as councilperson Rep. Ward 1 effective immediately."
Members approved the following measure during their meeting Monday:
"A resolution finding a vacancy in the Office of Ward 1 Council Member and calling for a special election at the earliest practicable date of November 7, 2023 and directing the City Clerk to notify the Commissioner of Elections of the Council decision to call for a special election pursuant to Iowa Code and authorizing City staff to take all necessary actions to accomplish such direction."
Anyone looking to run for the open Ward 1 seat would need to collect 75 signatures from Ward 1 constituents by Thursday, Sept. 21.
Kimberley Strope-Boggus announced she's running for the position shortly after the measure was approved. Meanwhile, former Ward 1 councilperson Bill Gray, who lost to Sheumaker in the 2021 election, told Local 5 there's just too much to get done in a short period of time for him to consider running in the special election.
Other approved items on the agenda:
- A proposal from Maverik, which recently bought Kum & Go, to lease space in the Nationwide Building downtown (1100 Locust St) for its regional headquarters
- $1.1 million in funding for "lane modifications" on Aurora Avenue between Beaver Avenue and Merle Hay Road; this would include resurfacing the road and replacing a pedestrian signal outside of Hoover High School with "a new High-Intensity Activated CrossWalK (HAWK)" signal