BROCKTON City councilors are in agreement that they want to petition the state to avoid a special election to fill the vacant Ward 1 council seat that could cost about $30,000 and run during the same general election season.
But they re deeply divided on whether that seat should be filled by appointment of the councilors or remain open until early next year when the newly elected Ward 1 councilor is inaugurated.
For nearly an hour, the Brockton City Council Finance Committee on Tuesday night debated a home rule petition that would ask the legislature and Gov. Charlie Baker to allow the city to skip the special election to fill the Ward 1 seat that is required by the city s charter.