Tuesday saw movements in Dallas County municipal governments as the Redfield City Council appointed Dave Griffith to the office of mayor, and 27 Dexter voters wrote in the name of Jamie Schirm for a city council seat.
The appointment of Griffith, who has worked part-time for the Redfield Parks Department, followed the March 5 resignation of four-year Redfield Mayor Dustin Lantz, who announced his intention to step down effective March 31.
Lantz was himself unanimously appointed by the council to the position of mayor March 31, 2015, following the resignation of former Redfield Mayor Darci Alt.
Griffith ascends to the mayor’s post alongside Redfield City Council members Pam Danielson, who presided during the month-long interim as mayor pro tem, Darrell Bowman, Amy DeZeeuw, John Hoy and Heather Godwin-Pote.
Any Redfield resident interested in challenging Griffith’s appointment and forcing a special election for the mayor’s office has 14 days from the election– that is, until May 21 — during which to collect the necessary 15 signatures and present them to the Dallas County Auditor.
The next meeting of the Redfield City Council in Tuesday, June 4 at 7 p.m. at the Redfield City Hall, 808 First St. in Redfield.
In the Dexter special election, Schirm garnered 27 of 45 write-in votes cast, with Jared Wolfe receiving seven votes and Todd Tigges attracting three. There was a further scattering of eight votes.
If Schirm accepts his election, he will take the council seat held by Kristin Shipman, who was appointed to the council Jan. 14 by the council.
Schirm would join Mayor Christine Huff and council members Dave Minturn, Adrienne Howard, T. J. Morehouse and Tom Stiles. The Dexter City Clerk is Carolyn Bond.
Bond said Thursday she was not at liberty to discuss the election. Huff, Schirm and Shipman did not respond to communications Thursday.
The next meeting of the Dexter City Council will be May 13 at 7 p.m. at the Dexter City Hall, 911 State St. in Dexter.
