HB6 Alabama 2015 Session

Summary

Primary Sponsor

Lynn Greer

Republican

Session

Regular Session 2015

Title

Municipalities, Class 7 or Class 8 with 12,000 or more inhabitants, mayors, vacancies, procedures for filling, Sec. 11-44G-2, Code of Alabama 1975, not to apply, Sec. 11-44G-2 am'd.

Summary

HB6 changes how mayor vacancies are filled in small Class 7/8 Alabama municipalities and exempts larger ones from this process based on population.

What This Bill Does

For Class 7 and Class 8 municipalities with fewer than 12,000 people, the city council may fill a mayoral vacancy from its own members or from outside. If the vacancy isn’t filled within 60 days, council members may submit names to the Governor for appointment; if the Governor does not appoint within 90 days, the judge of probate must call a special election. In such elections, only municipality residents can vote and must show identification. Municipalities with 12,000 or more people are not covered by this section and will fill vacancies under Section 11-43-42(a) instead.

Who It Affects

• Residents and voters in smaller Class 7/8 municipalities (under 12,000 population) will see a new process for filling a mayoral vacancy, including possible appointment by the Governor or a special election, and new identification requirements for voting.
• Municipalities with 12,000+ population are exempt from this process and will fill mayoral vacancies under the existing 11-43-42(a) rules.

Key Provisions

• Amends Section 11-44G-2 to let small Class 7/8 municipalities fill mayor vacancies either from within the city council or from outside, with the chosen person required to be a qualified elector and meet all legal qualifications.
• If a mayoral vacancy is not filled within 60 days, city council members may submit names to the Governor for appointment; the Governor must appoint within 90 days; if the Governor fails to appoint, the judge of probate must call a special election.
• In elections held under this subsection, only qualified residents of the municipality may vote and must present identification; acceptable forms of ID are listed.
• This section does not apply to cities operating under commission form of government.
• This section does not apply to Class 7 or Class 8 municipalities with a population of 12,000 or more; those municipalities shall fill vacancies under Section 11-43-42(a).

AI-generated summary using openai/gpt-5-nano on Feb 24, 2026. May contain errors — refer to the official bill text for accuracy.

Subjects

Municipalities