A vacancy on the council must be declared vacant at a full board meeting.
Councilman Grant Stafne announced of his intentions to resign from the Tribal Executive Board on his Facebook page, stating he was taking the position as Deputy Superintendent for the local Bureau of Indian Affairs office.
Today is his last day. The Tribal Council held a special luncheon for him and presented him with a portrait of a Fort Peck Yellowstone Buffalo.
While he did announce his intent to resign, the seat has to be declared vacant by the full board. Once, it’s declared vacant, then it is usually filled by the next candidate who received the most votes.
With this vacancy, there is a tie between two eligible candidates.
Former council members Kaci Wallette and Dana Buckles were both tied in votes at the end of the final recount. Both candidates have 449 votes, and both are eligible to fill the vacant seat.
Councilman Alex Smith said the special election details will be worked out after declaring the vacancy. This will be at the next full board meeting on Monday, September 12, 2022.
