Council members quickly moved to the selection of mayor. In
Hollister’s council-manager form of government, the five elected
officials choose the city’s top figurehead
– and meeting chairperson – by a majority vote. Council members
unanimously approved her selection and then unanimously approved
Victor Gomez as vice mayor.
HOLLISTER
Eugenia Sanchez became Hollister’s mayor Monday on a night when Victor Gomez and Ray Friend took the oath of office as new council members.
After former council members Monica Johnson and Brad Pike said their good-byes, City Clerk Geri Johnson swore in Gomez, Friend and most recent Hollister Mayor Doug Emerson to their four-year terms.
Council members quickly moved to the selection of mayor. In Hollister’s council-manager form of government, the five elected officials choose the city’s top figurehead – and meeting chairperson – by a majority vote.
If the council had followed the traditional rotation, next in line for the position would have been departed Councilwoman Monica Johnson. She is succeded by Gomez, who told the Free Lance last week he thought they should stick with tradition and elect either Pauline Valdivia or Sanchez as mayor.
Subsequent to Emerson also stating how he believed the council should keep with the traditional rotation of recent years, he made a motion calling for Valdivia as the next mayor and Gomez as vice mayor. As a backdrop, Johnson before departing at last week’s meeting had suggested that council members reelect Emerson for another cycle, to stay consistent.
That motion and another from Friend suggesting Sanchez as mayor died for a lacking second – before a clarification to council members that they did not have to choose both positions in the same vote.
Friend then moved for Sanchez as mayor. Council members unanimously approved her selection and unanimously approved Gomez as vice mayor.
That would set up the likelihood that Gomez might become mayor in the cycle covering much of 2010, a census year, after which city voters could be asked whether Hollister should elect an at-large mayor.
This story is developing. Look back to www.freelancenews.com for more details.
