After the death of a longtime member of Fountain City’s town council, plans are in the works to fill his seat.
Steven Clark, 71, died Feb. 5. The retired 40-year employee of Richmond Power & Light had just begun his eighth year of service on the town board, according to his obituary from Smith-McQuiston & Webster Funeral Home.
That tribute also noted his service on the Northeast Wayne County Fire Territory Board. Clark designed and welded the wrought iron gate at the entrance to Willow Grove Cemetery where he was buried Feb. 15.
Clark had run for election as a Republican, so it’s the political party’s responsibility to fill the vacancy.
According to an Indiana Election Division representative, once the county clerk of courts confirms an elected officeholder’s death and contacts the party chair, the chair can move forward with filling the seat.
Wayne County Clerk Tara Pegg said Feb. 13 that the clerk’s office has confirmed the vacancy and had mailed a notice Feb. 11 to Wayne County Republican Party Chair Beth Leisure. After receiving the notice, the chair has 30 days to fill the vacancy.
When larger communities have an elected office vacancy, the officeholder’s political party organizes a caucus of its eligible precinct committee people.
However, Fountain City only consists of one precinct, so the county party chair can appoint the new council member without conducting a caucus, Pegg said.
A version of this article appeared in the February 18 2026 print edition of the Western Wayne News.