Former Orono Mayor Dennis Walsh sues city, asks court to halt special election
Former Orono Mayor Dennis Walsh has asked a court to halt a May special election that could unseat a City Council member he appointed.
In one of his final meetings as mayor, Walsh appointed Claire Berrett to serve in a City Council seat vacated by Matt Johnson, who resigned one week after the November election ushered in new Orono leaders.
The Orono City Council voted 4 to 1 last week to hold a May 13 special election for Berrett’s seat, arguing it was required under state law and in the best interests of the voters. But Walsh argues in a new lawsuit, filed last week and accepted by the court Tuesday, that Berrett should serve the remainder of Johnson’s term, which runs through 2026.
“No vacancy exists in Orono,” James Dickey, an attorney from the Upper Midwest Law Center, which is representing Walsh, wrote in a petition asking a Hennepin County district judge to halt the election. “The City Council cannot apply a post-appointment ordinance to shorten Ms. Berrett’s ‘title’ to the office.”
https://www.startribune.com/orono-dennis-walsh-lawsuit-special-election/601224962