HB1555

House Bill 1555 seeks to standardize the procedures for filling vacancies in municipal offices across various forms of government in Arkansas. The bill consolidates numerous individual statutes currently governing specific types of municipalities or offices into a single, uniform process under Arkansas Code § 14-42-103. Under this new uniform procedure, municipal governing bodies must fill vacancies by either electing a person to serve the unexpired term by a majority vote or by calling a special election. It specifies that in larger municipalities with populations of 50,000 or more, members of the governing body cannot be appointed to fill a vacancy. Additionally, the bill clarifies that when a special election is called, the governing body may appoint an interim successor until the election results are finalized. The legislation explicitly states that these appointments are not subject to a mayoral veto.