Larkspur to fill council vacancy with election

Residents will vote in November on a successor for Kevin Carroll, who died in March.

Larkspur residents will vote on a candidate to fill the remaining term of former councilmember Kevin Carroll, who died in March.

The City Council voted unanimously on Tuesday to put the seat up for election on Nov. 5.

Carroll died of lung cancer last month at 73. Known as an advocate for rent control, he served on the council from December 2022 until his death.

“We considered appointing someone to fill Councilman Carroll’s seat, but ultimately decided it would be best to leave it up to the voters of Larkspur,” Mayor Scot Candell said.

The election is expected to cost the city between $13,000 and $27,000, according to a staff report. The council already has two full-term seats on the ballot, so the costs will already be incurred.

City staff previously raised potential legal concerns about an appointment because Candell and Councilmember Gabe Paulson obtained their seats in uncontested elections. If the Candell and Paulson seats were to be construed as appointments, and Carroll’s successor were appointed, the city could be viewed as violating a state law barring council majorities from being appointed, according to City Attorney Sky Woodruff.

Stephanie Andre, the winner of a three-way special election in March, was sworn in on April 3. Andre replaced Kevin Haroff, who resigned because he moved to Novato.

Andre said the Marin Women’s Political Action Committee will hold a two-session training workshop to assist potential candidates and campaign volunteers in learning more about running a campaign for elected office.

“I still believe the people of Larkspur should choose who represents them on council,” Andre said. “I met many thoughtful, engaged citizens when I was campaigning for my seat, and I hope more people will consider public service as a way to give back to our community.”

The filing period runs July 15 through Aug. 9. The Marin County Elections Department will begin sending out mail-in ballots on Oct. 7.

On Election Day, the polls and the county elections office will be open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. The election has a deadline must be certified by Dec. 5.