What Putnam Commissioner Neal’s Resignation Means For His District 9 Seat With Upcoming Election

County Commissioner Jimmy Neal has issued his letter of resignation, but what does that mean for his seat in District 9?

County Attorney Jeff Jones talked through the mechanics of what that would look like, especially in the face of an election. He said that the first step is for the county commission to accept the resignation, which he expects at its July meeting.

“Given the fact that there is a regularly scheduled election both in August and in November,” Jones said. “The law says that since it’s within 120 days of a regularly scheduled election, the county commission is not obligated to fill that vacancy.”

Commissioner Neal is one of two candidates running for two seats in the August election. Jones said that with absentee ballots already mailed, it’s too late to remove Neal’s name from the ballot.

Jones said that in the letter of resignation from Neal, there was a provision about a prospective resignation should Neal be elected. Jones said once that the county commission could then vote to reaccept that vacancy, and qualifying petitions would subsequently be filed.