New population numbers are likely to increase talk that whoever replaces Vinny Palermo on Omaha 's City Council is a member of the Hispanic community.

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With Omaha City Councilman Vinny Palermo in jail awaiting trial on federal fraud and corruption charges his empty chair on the council will soon be filled by a vote of the remaining six council members.

Councilman Brinker Harding (R): “This process will likely take the better part of two months before the new representative will be sworn in. At the end of the day District 4 will not have had representation of its duly elected official for five plus months: Way too long.”

A good number of people are expected to apply for the South Omaha seat which is home to many Hispanics.

NCN’s Joe Jordan: “Do you think it’s time for a Hispanic person on the city council?”

Ben Salazar (South Omaha community activist): “I’d love it. Believe me I think its overdue, given the ratio of Hispanics in Omaha and especially in District 4.”

The South Omaha seat stretches from the Missouri River on the east to 96th street to the west.

Joe Jordan: And new numbers, courtesy of Douglas County following a request by News Channel Nebraska, finds the Hispanic population in District 4 just over 53 percent (53.3%). Those numbers provided by the Douglas County Geographic Information System.

Names already being mentioned, former City Councilman Garry Gernandt, who held the South Omaha seat for 16 years before retiring in 2017. Gernandt tells NCN he’s “interested”, would bring “experience”, would be proud to finish out the remaining two years of Palermo’s term. He won’t commit to running for a full four-year term in 2025.

Omaha School Board member Margo Juarez is thinking about it and tells NCN she believes a "latino (a) [or Latina] presence is needed on the council."

The council has never had a Hispanic representative.