Okeechobee City Councilman-elect Cale resigns

Posted 12/2/20

Amidst controversy and gossip and before presiding over even one meeting as an official Okeechobee City Councilman, Russ Cale...

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Okeechobee City Councilman-elect Cale resigns

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OKEECHOBEE — Amidst controversy and gossip and before presiding over even one meeting as an official Okeechobee City Councilman, Russ Cale has resigned his seat on the council as of Monday, Nov. 30.

During the council’s meeting on Nov. 16, a local citizen stood before the council and told them his son took his own life and that he believed the councilman who would soon be taking office was responsible. He begged the council not to allow him to take that seat in January. Although the council expressed great sympathy for the family, they concluded they had no legal means to keep him from taking his seat but some pledged to urge him to resign on his own. Just before noon on Monday, he did.

Russ Cale and Monica Clark ran for city council unopposed and were therefore both elected. Clark will begin her second 4-year term on Jan. 4, 2021 after her investiture.

Cale’s resignation was unconditionally accepted at the council meeting on Dec. 1. According to City Clerk Lane Gamiotea, the city will have to hold a special election to fill the seat.

In January, they will start out with only four council members and continue that way until the special election. The election will have to be coordinated through the supervisor of elections’ office, and will take a minimum of 90 days once they begin the process. The matter is complicated by the change over in the supervisor of election office, she explained. That office may want to postpone it until the new supervisor is in office. Everything is up in the air, she continued. Either way, the very earliest a vote could take place would probably be March 2021, she said.

Another complication might be finding people willing to run. In the fall election, there were only two people who ran for the two available seats.

In order to qualify to run for city council, you must be a city resident, must be a registered voter, must be at least 18 years old, must file papers and pay the qualifying fee of $159 by the end of the qualifying period which has not yet been determined.

See related story titled "Grieving father will be at every council meeting to unnerve councilman" below.

councilman, resigned, city council

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