Smackover City Council seat remains vacant

No volunteers step forward after alderwoman’s death

The Smackover City Council met Monday, with one agenda item addressing a vacancy on the council.

The council seat became vacant when Ward 2 Alderwoman Tommie Fleming passed away in late May of this year. It has been over 40 days since Fleming’s death and so far, no one has volunteered to take her seat on the city council.

“We didn’t have anyone sign up for it. It’s still vacant,” said Smackover Mayor Bobby Neal.

Neal said the council is currently looking for someone to serve as an interim alderman. The council will vote on whether a volunteer will be appointed to take the seat. So far, two city council meetings have passed with no one appointed to the vacant seat.

Neal said anyone interested in filling the vacancy should submit their name and a few sentences about what would make them an asset to the city and why they should represent the council, the people in their ward and the city as a whole. Those interested must reside in Ward 2.

“We’ll keep trying every month until we get it filled up,” Neal said.

According to the Arkansas code, a city in the second class, as Smackover is classified, is not required to hold a special election to fill the vacancy. Because Fleming was the incumbent and the only candidate who filed to run in the upcoming election, the interim alderman may serve until the next election in 2020.