Mayor Lutz to Address Shaw Council Seat at Tuesday Meeting

Councilman Clarence Shaw's physically empty seat on the council will be an official topic of discussion at Tuesday's council meeting after a letter to the mayor requested the matter be put on the agenda while mentioning the possibility of filling the seat. But city officials say the seat belongs to Shaw until he completes his service to the Army.

"We're honoring his service," said Mayor Mary Ann Lutz. "The laws of this country allow us to do that. When someone is called away to military duty, that (seat) is yours."

According to the state's online index of laws, Section 395.5 of the state's Military and Veterans Code reads as following:

"Any officer, elective or otherwise, who leaves or shall have left the service of any city in order to enter upon active service with the armed forces of the United States shall be reinstated and restored to his office upon his discharge or release from such active service with the armed forces; provided, such discharge or release is prior to the expiration of the term for which he has been elected or appointed."

Monrovia Weekly printed the text of the letter to the mayor's office, which was written by Jules Bagneris.

The council meeting is scheduled for its usual time on Tuesday, 7:30 p.m.