District Four Council Vacancy Appointment
At a glance
- What: Resolution 11 of 2026 appointing a Council Member to fill the vacated District Four seat for the remainder of the term.
- Where it stands: Adopted June 9, 2026, 6-0, appointing Jennifer Napier-Pearce. The term ends January 3, 2028.
- Status: Resolved.
Detail
The agenda gave the term end as January 4, 2028; Puy noted a scrivener's error and clarified January 3, 2028. City Recorder Keith Reynolds administered the Oath of Office to Napier-Pearce for District Four. Staff recommended suspending the rules and considering motions; the briefing and action were both June 9, 2026, with no public hearing.
Motion
Moved by Wharton, seconded by Dugan to adopt Resolution 11 of 2026. AYE: Petro, Puy, Wharton, Carlsen, Dugan, Young. Passed 6-0. The minutes' motion text spells the surname "Napier-Pierce"; elsewhere in the minutes it is Napier-Pearce.
At the regular formal meeting that followed, Napier-Pearce voted on the Juneteenth resolution and abstained on later items. Three residents congratulated her during public comment.
Sources
- City Council Limited Formal Meeting minutes, June 9, 2026 (approved July 21, 2026): https://slc.primegov.com/Public/CompiledDocument/44478
- City Council Formal Meeting minutes, June 9, 2026: https://slc.primegov.com/Public/CompiledDocument/44487
Log
2026-06-09 - City Council Limited Formal Meeting
Oath administered and Resolution 11 of 2026 adopted 6-0 appointing Napier-Pearce to District Four.
2026-06-09 - City Council Formal Meeting
Napier-Pearce seated for the regular formal meeting and congratulated by three speakers in general comment.
2026-06-09 - City Council Work Session
Twenty applicants were interviewed (up to five minutes each). First round of verbal votes: Jennifer Napier-Pearce 3 (Wharton, Carlsen, Dugan), Scott Lyttle 2 (Young, Puy), Javier Chavez 1 (Petro). In round two, after the remaining candidates answered a randomly chosen question, the vote was 3-3 (Napier-Pearce: Wharton, Carlsen, Dugan; Lyttle: Petro, Young, Puy). Keith Reynolds ran a coin toss (heads Napier-Pearce, tails Lyttle); heads won and Napier-Pearce was selected. She was appointed and sworn in at the limited formal meeting that evening.
2026-06-02 - LBA, CRA and Council Formal Meeting
Resolution 10 of 2026 adopted 6-0 (Dugan/Carlsen) approving a fair and transparent method for eliminating District Four vacancy applicants. Puy thanked the Recorder's Office for processing the applications.
2026-05-28 - City Council Work Session
Jennifer Bruno described a new multi-step process under changed state law for filling the vacancy and a prepared resolution setting out the voting method. With David Quealy of the City Attorney's Office, Members discussed the reasons for the law change, the extra steps when no candidate wins a majority, ties resolved by lot, and a coin toss if the second-round vote ties. Source: https://slc.primegov.com/Public/CompiledDocument/44484
2026-05-14 - City Council Work Session
Lehua Weaver reviewed the vacancy timeline and legal requirements, public notice, conflict of interest disclosures, interview procedures, voting process and outreach. Council Members were asked to send edits to the application questions by the next day.
2026-05-12 - Community Reinvestment Agency
Chair Puy told the Agency Board that the City Attorney's Office found Eva Lopez Chavez had established a primary residence outside District 4 and, under state law, forfeited her seat. Jennifer Bruno said the Council had 30 days to appoint a replacement, after public notice and an application period, interviews and a public vote. No public comments.