Mayor Courtney: We Can Plan For Stability During An Emergency; Deputy Mayor Position Being Discussed Within The City

This matter will go onto the third reading, and a vote a the next City Council meeting on Tuesday, January 5.

(Madison, Ind.) – During last night's Madison City Council meeting, the council heard the second reading of the new ordinance to select a Deputy Mayor.

This ordinance will not create a new position within City Hall, but this person will be appointed by Mayor Courtney.

“It is truly an honor to be Madison’s Mayor and I have not any other goal than to lead the city to its greatest potential, and this includes planning for the future,” stated Mayor Courtney.

The position of deputy mayor will allow for the city to have a seamless transition if there were to be an emergency. Within the past year, there have been two unexpected tragedies, one within the city with the sudden passing of Mayor Welch, and the global coronavirus pandemic.

“Council we can choose to plan for stability in the decision-making process during a time of emergency or we can rely on the fall back statutes that will govern us. Potentially leading us to more chaos and less effective decision making. Our job as leaders of the City of Madison is to look toward the future and learn from the past,” said Mayor Courtney.

This role that Mayor Courtney has proposed helps focus on planning ahead, and is no additional cost to the taxpayers, and is not binding to any future administration.

City Planner and Preservation Coordinator Nicole Schell stated that the days following Mayor Welch’s passing, it would have been beneficial to her, and other city employees to have more direction on how to handle the situation.

“Following the news of Mayor Welch’s passing, while trying to handle my own emotions, I also took on the task of handling the majority of the incoming calls. In the days following I spent a great deal of time with the interim mayor explaining all the capital improvement projects and spent the same amount of time following the caucus explaining them again to Mayor Courtney. Had a deputy mayor been appointed I could have spent that time (used for explaining) on project planning and continued operations that my office handles.”

The benefit of having a Deputy Mayor position will allow Mayor Courtney to designate an existing staff member who is familiar with all the various matters that the city deals with every day.

“The position of mayor is a full-time position and the city would benefit with a full-time staff member filling in on a short-term basis when an urgent situation arises,” said Mayor Courtney.

At this time without the position of Deputy Mayor, the interim Mayor would be the President of the City Council.

The role of a deputy is something that is not new to certain city or county positions. Offices with deputy positions are the Police Chief, Fire Chief, County Sheriff, County Auditor, and many more.

Mayor Courtney gave the following Scenarios as to why a deputy mayor position would be needed:

Scenario 1: Absence, illness, or inability of executive:

• It is not my intent to arbitrarily delegate my authority to the Deputy Mayor for a casual absence such as a vacation or weekend away. In this context, an “absence” or “inability” focuses on situations such as a hospitalization or extended illness that prevents me from being able to work. There could be numerous situations that cause this such as the recent COVID-19, or surgery, or an accident.

Scenario 2: Incapacitation

• Incapacitation is to be legally incapable of carrying out the duties as Mayor. One example would be having a car accident that leaves the Mayor with a brain injury. In this example, the mayor is unable to affirmatively make the delegation of duties to the Deputy Mayor. So, the council president would have to file a written statement with courts to have the Mayor deemed incapacitated. If the court agrees, the deputy mayor would assume the mayor's authority.
  • The conveyance of this authority is (a) the time when the Mayor becomes capable of performing his duties or (b) six months. If the six-month time frame is exhausted a vacancy is declared.

Scenario 3: Vacancy in Office:

• A vacancy in office occurs for the following reasons: (a) death, resignation, or removal; (b) ceases to be a resident; (c) convicted of a felony; (d) unable to discharge duties for six months. In the event of a vacancy, the deputy mayor becomes interim mayor until the party of the officeholder holds a caucus. The caucus must be held within 30 days or the court fills the vacancy.

“If you have learned anything from working with me this past year, I hope it is this, I love this community, I want this community to succeed while offering better ways to do things and I will do whatever I can to make sure that this small town has a historic future,” said Mayor Courtney.

This matter will go onto the third reading, and a vote a the next City Council meeting on Tuesday, January 5.