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Local news mobileDay after election loss, candidate will get seat anyway
Mason City Council votes to reappoint Gilb to council to fill vacancy.
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Just a little more than 24 hours after an Election Day loss, a Mason council member learned that the same board that appointed him earlier this year had done so once again.
Mason City Council voted unanimously Wednesday, Nov. 4, to appoint Mike Gilb to a position that’s been vacant since Oct. 6, when then Vice Mayor Pete Beck was appointed as state representative to the 67th House District.
Gilb said he resigned Wednesday afternoon and then interviewed for the position, as no sitting council member may be appointed to another position.
City Council last week interviewed several candidates to fill the remainder of Beck’s term, which expires in 2011, then interviewed Gilb and three other applicants between 6:30 and 8:30 p.m. Wednesday. Council members then deliberated for about 90 minutes before making their choice official, Grossmann said.
Although the other applicants were “extremely qualified,” Grossmann said Gilb curried the most favor because council members knew his strengths, cooperative nature and credentials as a city solicitor, lawyer and three-term state legislator
“He’s a well-known commodity to us,” Grossmann said. “He’s a humble servant who has been very hard working, very knowledgeable, extremely capable, well-liked ... and his opinion is always valued.”
Wednesday's vote was the fourth such appointment to city council in two years.
Council members in late 2007 appointed Don Prince to replace Matt Kline, who moved to Sandusky to become city manager. In 2008, city council voted to appoint David Nichols to a position vacated by Todd Wurzbacher, who also moved away.
Council appointed Gilb in February to serve the remainder of a term won in 2005 by Victor Kidd, who resigned from council in January and moved to Hawaii to serve as a pastor there.
“I’m certainly appreciative to members of the current council, who I think recognized the qualifications that I bring to council and wanted to see that continue,” Gilb said. “I think those were the overriding factors that helped them make the decision to bring me back on council to finish Pete Beck’s term.”
Gilb said he plans to focus primarily on helping the city’s government pave the way for business growth and economic development.
“Those are the kinds of things that are going to strengthen Mason, keep the tax base low and the quality of life high and I look forward to continuing those efforts on the council,” he said.
Contact this reporter at (513) 696-4541 or eschwartzberg@coxohio.com
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What a shame that more people did not vote NO.
11:44 PM, 11/5/2009
10:32 PM, 11/5/2009
10:20 PM, 11/5/2009
Oh, the "change" was placed on the ballot by guess who - COUNCIL. I wonder why?? Guess you have your answer now.
If you did vote "yes" then you have opened the door for more of this type of behavior.
You can say you are "disgusted" but you should not be surprised.
5:34 PM, 11/5/2009
3:50 PM, 11/5/2009