The St. Louis Board of Aldermen on Monday approved a resolution setting the date for a special election to fill the vacant sheriff’s office.
Former Sheriff Alfred Montgomery was ousted last week following a year of scandals, court hearings and complaints surrounding his actions in office. St. Louis Circuit Judge Steven Ohmer found Montgomery had “willfully neglected his official duties.”
Resolution 205 was adopted unanimously during Monday’s virtual Board of Aldermen meeting. Four members were excused for necessary absences.
The special election is scheduled for March 3.
Candidates may begin filing for the election at 8 a.m. Tuesday, city officials said. Filing closes at 5 p.m. Jan. 16.
State law requires a special election to be held 10 weeks after a vacancy’s effective date. In the meantime, the city is accepting applications to temporarily fill the sheriff’s position.
Interested parties must submit their applications to the Board of Aldermen by 5 p.m. Jan. 2.
Board President Megan Green said during Monday’s meeting that, under state law, someone must be appointed to the position within 14 days of vacancy.
“We’ve been advised to continue with our process, and so the public safety committee is meeting to review candidates as they come in, but the goal would be to approve any candidate or candidates that the board wants to approve by Tuesday, January 6,” Green said.
Although he's no longer in office, Montgomery’s legal battles continue.
The former sheriff is facing a federal misdemeanor charge in the handcuffing of then-acting city jail Commissioner Tammy Ross, along with five federal felony counts of witness tampering and retaliation. The misdemeanor carries a potential sentence of up to one year in prison. The felony charges could result in a combined sentence of up to 100 years — 20 years on each charge.
