Norman seeks applicants for open council seat
NORMAN — The Norman City Council applications is accepting fmeo rn atp point-to fill theun expired term of Ward 5 council member Sereta Wilson,
who recently announced her resignation.
Wilson's last day is Aug. 12. Her two- year term expires July 6.
The vacancy will be filled by a majority vote of the seven remaining council members and Mayor Breea Clark until t he next regular municipal election in February. The council is expected to make the appointment in September, according to a news release.
Wilson, who is moving out of the district she represents, is one of four council members targeted in a recall effort. A small business owner, she cited financial hardship caused by COVID-19 as the reason for selling her home. She called it a process that started “well before the recall effort.”
The group Unite Norman is seeking to recall Mayor Breea Clark, Ward 1 representative Kate Bierman, Ward 3 representative Alison Petrone, Ward 7 representative Stephen Holman and Wilson for reducing police funding and “not upholding the will of the people.”
The group has called on the mayor and council “to listen to the people of Ward 5” as they seek a replacement for Wilson.
“Prior to council member Wilson's resignation ... more than 2,000 citizens in Ward 5 had already signed petitions for recall,” Unite Norman cofounder Russell Smith said in a news release. “Their voices need to continue to be heard in the process to appoint a replacement who will serve as their city council member.”
The group is asking that any replacement vow not to “defund the police,” according to the release.
Interested applicants must be registered to vote in the city of Norman for six months and reside in Ward 5. Applicants must submit an application, letter of intent, and/or resume to the city clerk's office by Aug .14. Questions about the process may be directed to City Clerk Brenda Hall by phone ( 366- 5386) or email (Brenda.Hall@NormanOK.gov).