ROCK SPRINGS — The Rock Springs City Council will continue to use secret-ballot voting as a way to fill vacancies on the Council.

In an 8-1 vote, the Council voted to leave the ordinance as is. Mayor Tim Kaumo was the only vote in favor of changing the ordinance.

During the Council meeting, the Council read the third and final reading of an ordinance titled “Vacancies: Manner of Filling Vacancies.” The ordinance did not pass the third and final reading and so the ordinance will remain the same.

The proposed change would have modified the existing ordinance’s language from “secret-ballot vote” to “voice vote.”

Prior to the vote, Mayor Kaumo said the Council has had some discussion on this ordinance. He said he introduced some language before to change the ordinance, but the Council didn’t vote in favor of the language change.

Kaumo was referring to the second reading of the ordinance where he offered new wording to change it from “voice vote” to “private-ballot vote.” This would have allowed councilors to sign their name and then write down their vote. Those votes would then be reflected in the minutes of the meeting. This amendment didn’t pass, and the ordinance made it through second reading without any changes.

“In my opinion, just to be clear, a yes vote would improve the transparency and a no vote leaves it as is,” Mayor Kaumo said.

A motion to approve the ordinance was made and the Council proceeded to vote no on the ordinance change, while Kaumo voted in favor.

This ordinance came before the council for review and language changes on June 16 after Councilor Ryan Greene was appointed was voted in to fill a vacancy left after Glenise Wendorf resigned from Ward III. The vacancy was filled through a secret-ballot vote where five councilors voted in favor of Greene. Three council members voted for candidate Larry Hickerson to fill Wendorf’s seat.