On Tuesday, Oct 13, 2020 Fairview Mayor John Blade submitted his resignation to the City of Fairview stepping down from his seat as the city’s mayor. This resignation is effective immediately.
Pursuant to the City of Fairview Charter, section 6-20-203, whenever the position of mayor becomes vacant the city’s vice mayor becomes mayor and remains mayor for the duration of the current mayoral term. This transition is effective immediately.
The text of charter section 6-20-203 reads as follows:
“6-20-203 Duties of Vice Mayor. The vice mayor shall act as mayor during any temporary absence, inability, or failure to act of the mayor and whenever a vacancy occurs in the office of mayor, such member shall become mayor and hold office as such for the unexpired term.”
The current unexpired mayoral term runs until a new mayor is elected in the city’s 2022 general election and sworn into office. At the time Mayor Blade’s resignation city commissioner Debby Rainey was serving as vice mayor. Therefore, Debby Rainey will serve as mayor until the mayoral candidate elected in the city’s 2022 general election is sworn in.
Debby Rainey is currently a candidate for city commissioner and cannot be removed from that ballot. If Ms. Rainey is not one of the top three vote-getters in that election then the top three vote-getters will be installed as city commissioners. If Ms. Rainey is one of the top three vote-getters in the city commission election that win will be vacated and a special election must be held to fill the vacated seat won by her. Again, there is no provision or process for Ms. Rainey to remove herself from the 2020 city commission election ballot at this time.
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