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City council appoints Carrie Hubbard to fill Ward 4 seat through December
Summary
After interviewing five candidates in a public process, the Aberdeen City Council voted to appoint Carrie Hubbard to the Ward 4 vacancy; the appointee will serve until the term expires in December and must file in May to run for the seat thereafter.
The Aberdeen City Council interviewed five applicants for an open Ward 4 seat on March 26 and, following nominations and roll-call votes, appointed Carrie Hubbard to fill the vacancy through December.
Council members heard five candidates address the council and answer questions before recessing to an executive session to evaluate qualifications. Candidates who appeared and spoke included Norma (Norma Fleming), Tara Marath, Carrie Hubbard, Russ Wheatley and Les Willoughby. Each candidate had five minutes for remarks and was asked follow-up questions by council members.
After the executive session the council nominated multiple candidates and proceeded to roll-call votes. The council’s roll-call ballots resulted in successive rounds that narrowed the field. Following the final round the council selected Carrie Hubbard. The vacancy term runs through December; council staff reminded applicants that anyone who wants to hold the seat beyond December must file in May to run in the election.
Hubbard introduced herself to the council as a long-time Grays Harbor resident with a 25-year career at Harbor Architects; she told council members she would recuse herself from votes creating a conflict because her firm does pursue city contracts. Hubbard said she would be transparent about conflicts and work collaboratively. "If that ever comes up where it's a conflict of interest, I would be transparent about that and recuse myself from any votes or discussions or anything that might conflict," Hubbard said in her five-minute statement.
Candidates addressed common city topics including homelessness, downtown revitalization, housing and public safety. Several candidates said they would prioritize constituent outreach; examples included door-to-door contact, letters and ward listening sessions. The council’s public selection process included public interviews followed by the required executive session under RCW 42.30.110 to evaluate candidate qualifications; the council recessed and reconvened for roll-call voting in public.
Why it matters: The appointee will represent Ward 4 on council business and committees for the remainder of the year and is expected to engage with constituents ahead of the May filing deadline for candidates seeking to continue in the seat.
