Aurora on Tuesday said it will begin accepting applications to finds its next mayor and fill the seat vacated after the death of former Mayor Steve Hogan on May 13.
Aurora’s City Charter states vacated council seats must be filled by a majority vote of the Aurora City Council, according to a release from the city. Michael Bryant, a city spokesperson, said in an email that for the purposes of the city council, the mayor's seat is considered a part of the council when it becomes vacant.
The last time Aurora had to replace a mayor in the middle of their term was in 1974, when the city had to replace Mayor Paul C. Beck after he died in office, Bryant said.
The new mayor must be appointed within 45 days, giving the city a June 27 deadline to fill Hogan’s seat. The appointee will serve out the remainder of Hogan’s term, which ends December 2019 and be eligible for election during the November 2019 election.
Bryant said the job is open to Aurora registered voters 21 and older. He added that since municipal elections in Aurora are non-partisan, there is no requirement for a vacant appointee to be from the same political party as the previous office-holder (Hogan was a Republican).
The city will accept applications until 5 p.m. on May 29. Eligible residents must be registered electors, U.S. citizens, have no felony convictions, be at least 21 and have been a resident of Aurora for at least one year.
The city has created a timeline for the mayoral application process, though they said in their release it’s subject to change. Applications will become available today, while May 29 will be the deadline for the notarized applications to be delivered in-person to the City Clerk’s Office before 5 p.m. The release said notary services won’t be available at the clerk’s office. Only hard-copy applications will be accepted.
Applications are available to download on AuroraGov.org and in-person at the City Clerk’s Office, which is located at the Aurora Municipal Center First Floor at 15151 E. Alameda Parkway.
Hogan was first elected mayor in November 2011 and served on the Aurora City Council and the Colorado General Assembly representing the city.
