TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (WTXL) - After an FBI document revealed Tallahassee city commissioner Scott Maddox is under investigation, some in the community have called for him to resign.
But what would happen if Maddox actually resigned?
Tallahassee voters will choose a new mayor and two other city commissioners this year, but could a fourth be on the ballot, too? That's up to Scott Maddox, after news of a bribery investigation by the FBI.
Former city manager Rick Fernandez resigned last month as the Florida Commission on Ethics continues its investigation. Outgoing city commissioner Gil Ziffer told us Tuesday the allegations against Maddox are "serious" and "substantial."
"It might be in the best interest of Commissioner Maddox -- but this is purely up to him -- to consider his family and his future on the commission and consider whether resigning is an option for him," said Ziffer.
The city charter states any vacancy in the commission would be filled by appointment until the next municipal election and if it hasn't been filled after 20 days, the governor would appoint someone.
The Leon County Supervisor of Elections says qualifying sets the ballots for the August primary and the November election. That happens in mid-June.
"The resignation date is the key factor. If it happens before qualifying, that seat would then appear," said Mark Earley. "The appointment would be only through the end of the election cycle of 2018. If it happened after qualifying this spring, it would run through 2020."
The supervisor of elections' office compares this year's local elections to that of 2014, when Andrew Gillum gave up his seat on the commission to run for mayor.
Curtis Richardson was appointed to fill that vacancy and later ran for another term and he might be the only current commissioner after the November election.
As of right now, there are three candidates each to run for city commission seats held by Nancy Miller and Gil Ziffer. And the mayor's race has two candidates, after Ziffer announced he was dropping out.
