Del Mar will be operating with a four-member city council for the next two years after being unable to break a 2-2 tie on whether to fill the vacancy by election or appointment.
State law had set Nov. 23, 2024, as the deadline for the Del Mar City Council to act upon filling the vacancy.
On Nov. 18, the council was unable to break a 2-2 voting tie on whether to call for a special election or fill the vacancy by appointment, meaning the seat vacated by Dwight Worden in September will remain empty until the regularly-scheduled election in November 2026.
Worden unexpectedly announced his upcoming resignation during the Aug. 26, 2024 council meeting.
“My health and well-being and the City would be better served by bringing this chapter of my life to a close,” Worden said at the time.
During hearings in October, the council’s consideration of applicants to fill the seat by appointment also resulted in 2-2 ties.
The Registrar of Voters had previously estimated that a special election would cost up to $225,000.
