MISSOULA — The Missoula City Council will have the final say as to who will represent Ward 6 after a recount showed a tie vote between incumbent Sandra Vasecka and challenger Sean Patrick McCoy.
The Wednesday, November 29, 2023, recount showed that both Vasecka and McCoy received 1,476 votes in the Missoula municipal election on November 7.
The Missoula City Council will make the appointment during their Monday, December 4, 2023, meeting.
The procedure for the appointment of one of the candidates is dictated by Montana statute 13-16-507 MCA.
Council members can only consider the two candidates and the seat must be filled within 30 days of the vacancy.
The appointed candidate will then serve until the next municipal election, which will be in November, of 2025, according to City of Missoula Communications Director Ginny Merriam.
Vasecka will be allowed to cast a vote in Monday night’s procedure as a seated Council member.
“While the mayor has the authority to break tie votes in most situations, an exception is when the Council is voting to appoint a Council member to fill a vacant seat,” Merriam stated in a news release.
A 6-6 vote will result in further debate and rounds of votes.
