A onetime aide to former City Council President Mitra Jalali will serve St. Paul’s Ward 4 for the next four months.
Matt Privratsky was appointed to the seat by Mayor Melvin Carter on Monday afternoon, after the City Council last week failed to come to a consensus about who should fill Jalali’s seat.
Jalali announced her resignation suddenly in late January, citing concerns about her well-being amid the stress of the job.
Her Ward 4 seat has been without a representative since Jalali’s last council meeting in early February. With an even number of members, the council has been deadlocked on a handful of issues, including a zoning decision about a major parcel at the Highland Bridge development.
Privratsky was one of four finalists to interview before the City Council in March to fill Jalali’s seat.
In a tense meeting last week, the council voted 3-3 on motions to appoint Privratsky or Lisa Nelson, a member of the Union Park District Council, to the seat.
Privratsky will be sworn in this week, and will serve until an Aug. 12 special election for a member to serve until the end of Jalali’s term in 2028.
