Northport Has 60 Days to Fill Council Seat Vacated by Hogg, Bobo Becomes President

Christy Bobo, the former president pro tempore of the Northport City Council, has assumed the role after the shock Thursday resignation of embattled president Jeff Hogg, the city said in a press release Friday morning.

As the Thread first reported, Hogg surprised just about everyone Thursday when he said he would resign from public office after eight years, blaming threats to himself, his family, and his livelihood as an insurance salesman in Tuscaloosa.

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A Northport city spokesperson distributed a press release Friday confirming next steps, which are mandated by state law and come as no surprise.

"The Northport City Council regrets to announce the resignation of Council President Jeff Hogg. With his resignation, Council President duties will be assumed by Christy Bobo, formerly President Pro Tempore," the release read. "The City Council will now begin the process of selecting a new Pro Tempore from among its members."

The remaining four council members will have until early May to agree on Hogg's replacement or pass the buck to Montgomery.

"According to Alabama law, the City Council has 60 days to fill any vacant council seat for the remaining term," the city said. "In the event the vacancy is not filled by the City Council within 60 days, then each council member and the Mayor may submit a name to the Governor for possible appointment."

That's exactly what happened in the chaotic aftermath of the 2022 resignation of former mayor Bobby Herndon, when Hogg as president was slated to become mayor but temporarily resigned from that role on the council to avoid losing the power of his vote, as the mayor does not have one.

Instead, John Hinton was named council president, then mayor, and Hogg was eventually given the president's chair back and the council set about finding a replacement for Hinton in District 3.

That effort failed, and ultimately Governor Kay Ivey tapped Karl Wiggins for the vacant seat.

For more from Northport as the council seeks to replace Hogg, stay connected to the Tuscaloosa Thread.