Applications for Manley's council seat due Friday

At Tuesday's luncheon, Springfield Mayor Jim O'Neal said he intends to move swiftly to fill the Zone 3 City Council seat left vacant by Ralph Manley's Monday night resignation.

"I have nothing but the highest regard for Mr. Manley. I wish him ... nothing but the best going forward," O'Neal said, adding that he hopes to be able to "appropriately honor" Manley in the near future for his service. "But we have a lot of work on our plate, and I don't think we can afford to hesitate nor delay in the selection of a new councilperson."

The city clerk's office will have the necessary paperwork available beginning Wednesday morning and will take applications and supporting materials until 5 p.m. Friday.

Qualified applicants must be a registered voter, have lived in the city for two years and have lived in Zone 3, which generally covers the southwest quadrant of the city, for at least one year.

O'Neal said council then will individually review applicants in preparation for a special council meeting at 7 p.m. April 28 in Historic City Hall, where each applicant will have five minutes for an oral presentation.

"My intent is to come out of that meeting with a councilperson, and I think we'll be able to do that," O'Neal told council.

Also today, council elected Councilman Dan Chiles as mayor pro tempore. Chiles, Manley and Doug Burlison each ran for the post Monday night, and it was a lack of support for Manley that led him to resign, he said in his resignation letter.