The vacancy on the Decorah City Council will be filled by appointment

The new vacancy on the Decorah City Council will be filled by appointment.

Tuesday night was the last meeting for 5th Ward Councilperson Johanna Bergan, who is moving out of the district.  The remaining six city council members Tuesday night voted 5-1 (Schissel dissenting) to fill the 5th Ward seat by making an appointment later this year.

City council member Andy Carlson noted that a special election for the seat would cost the city roughly $2,500.  Instead, letters of application will be accepted at City Hall from people willing to serve on the post.  There is roughly one year remaining on the term.

However, a special election for the position could be forced if at least 53 signatures from eligible voters in the 5th Ward are submitted on a petition to the city council.

At the end of Tuesday night's city council meeting, Johanna Bergan thanked her fellow city council members and said they had done a lot of good work in the last three years.