Rocky Ford council to consider letters for vacant mayor’s post Tuesday
The council’s Sept. 22 agenda calls for discussion and possible action on letters of interest, but does not identify applicants or specify an outcome.
The Rocky Ford City Council is scheduled to consider letters of interest for the city’s vacant mayoral position at its regular meeting Tuesday, Sept. 22.
The agenda lists the item under old business as “Discussion/Action Letters of Interest Mayoral Vacancy.” The meeting is scheduled for 6 p.m. at 203 S. Main St., following a 4:30 p.m. work session on the city’s 2025 audited financial statements, the city’s posted agenda says.
The agenda does not identify applicants, state how many letters the city received or specify whether the council will appoint a mayor, select a candidate, order a special election or take another action. The city’s official vacancy notice says letters of interest were due to the city clerk by 5 p.m. Sept. 15 and would be considered at the Sept. 22 meeting.
The city’s leadership roster lists the mayor as “VACANT,” Joe Pentlicki as mayor pro tem and Ward II representative, and Stacey Milenski as city manager. The agenda also includes final consideration of Ordinance No. 999, an agreement for the Arkansas Valley Emergency Communication Authority, a library security upgrade, a code-enforcement job description, public comment and reports from the city manager and council members.
The applicable appointment process depends on how Rocky Ford selects its mayor. The city describes itself as a statutory city with a council-manager form of government on its City Council information page. If the mayor is elected by voters, Colorado law requires the council to appoint a qualified person within 30 days of a vacancy or order a special election as soon as practicable. If the city uses a council-selected mayor structure, state law says the council chooses a successor for the unexpired term.
The supplied records do not establish which mayor-selection method Rocky Ford adopted or when the vacancy began. Any appointment, special-election order or other decision would need to be confirmed through a later action record, such as approved minutes, a resolution or a meeting recording.