Council members weigh future, minus Garrett

The short-term future of the City Council seat currently held by Scott Garrett will rest in the hands of his fellow City Council members.

Faced with a vacancy among its ranks, council is empowered by the city charter to select an interim replacement in advance of the next election, which will be in May.

Any appointment must be made by a majority vote of the remaining six council members. According to the city attorney, officials are given broad authority to determine how potential candidates will be evaluated. Garrett, who must resign his council post when he assumes his new office as a state delegate, holds an at-large seat so his replacement may come from any city ward.

None of Lynchburg’s present council members have been through this type of appointment process before. When former mayor Carl Hutcherson resigned in 2006, less than two months before his term was set to expire, officials chose not to name an interim member.

In interviews Tuesday and Wednesday, council gave no indication there was any immediate consensus forming about how to handle the current situation. Several members said they would wait until next week — when council is expected to be briefed on the rules of an appointment vote — before considering options.

But other officials, specifically the more conservative members who now make up a minority faction, were already weighing the implications of the vote and how it may affect future council decisions.

“I think basically it will be decided on a 4-2 vote,” Councilman Turner Perrow said. “Then, after that, issues will most likely be decided on a 5-2 vote. And Jeff (Helgeson) and I will find ourselves in the deep minority until May.”

Councilman Jeff Helgeson alluded to a similar prospect, saying he hoped officials don’t “play politics” with the decision.

“Hopefully, they won’t use this opportunity to just appoint someone who totally agrees with them,” he said, adding he felt any future appointee should have to commit to sitting out the May elections to avoid giving them an unfair advantage over other candidates.

Helgeson also said council should look for someone with prior governing experience who won’t be grappling with a learning curve during the next budget season, which is expected to be difficult. He specifically said someone like former councilman Joe Seiffert, who left office just last year after deciding not to seek re-election, would make an ideal candidate.

Helgeson said he raised the idea of a temporary return to service with Seiffert on Wednesday morning, but Seiffert did not make any specific commitments.

For his own part, Vice Mayor Bert Dodson scoffed at any early predictions about the outcome of the interim appointment.

“Maybe they can loan me their crystal ball,” he said. “This is the first day after the election.”

Councilman Michael Gillette said any appointment will result from the deliberations of the full council.

“Council will make this decision as a group as it always does,” he said. “I’m perfectly open to having discussion with all council members about the appropriate course of action.”

Garrett must resign from council before the General Assembly convenes its next session January 13. He said Wednesday he had not yet chosen a specific date to step down.

Council will have 30 days following his departure to select a replacement. Garrett will not be allowed to take part in that vote, but said he hoped council chooses someone with a “business-minded” viewpoint.

“I would certainly strongly recommend someone who shares a similar perspective to me,” he said. “A business-minded perspective will be needed to help address the needs of the community, particularly in these challenging times.”

Editor's note: This story has been corrected from an original version that said Councilman Jeff Helgeson had not approached former Councilman Joseph Seiffert about returning to council.