Morrison Trustee Paul Sutton’s seat will remain vacant until the next general election, expected in November 2026, the board decided during its June 17 meeting.
That’s in accordance with a charter amendment the town adopted in 2024 that states if a vacancy occurs, the seven-member board can temporarily operate with fewer trustees until residents can choose their next representative in a regular election.
Sutton’s last meeting will be on July 1. He and his wife Sharolyn Anderson are moving to Tasmania.
The town charter allows the board to appoint a replacement or hold a special election.
While trustees briefly discussed their options, they quickly settled on leaving the seat open. The town attorney noted a special election is “pretty pricey” and takes time to coordinate. The Board of Trustees did agree to include the open seat in a fall 2025 election if Jefferson County opts to hold one.
Mayor Chris Wolfe noted a couple of people had expressed interest in taking Sutton’s spot.
“While it’s nice we had people who volunteered, I think it wouldn’t be fair to other people who might be interested (to appoint someone),” Trustee Dave Wirtz said. “I think we all decided as a board a while back that if there was a vacancy, we were going to try (leaving it open).”