Baker council names Cedric Murphy president and Rochelle Dunn vice president for 2025–26

The Baker City Council approved a new leadership slate on June 24, selecting Councilman Cedric Murphy as council president and Councilwoman Rochelle Dunn as vice president for the 2025–26 term.

Council members discussed the informal method they use to determine leadership: the council has historically relied on internal agreement and vote totals from the recent municipal election in determining the order of leadership. During the meeting members explained the practice is based on the number of votes each councilor received in the election; staff and colleagues reviewed vote totals during the discussion to confirm the slate.

A motion to adopt the slate was moved and seconded during the meeting and the council voted to approve the leadership changes. The action was described as an internal council governance decision; no changes to city code or ordinance were proposed in the meeting.

What happened: the council established its leadership for the coming year and recorded the motion and vote. What didn’t happen: the council did not adopt a formal, written policy change governing future leadership selection; members invited public comment on potential alternatives and said they would consider suggestions.

Council members and attendees raised procedural questions about whether leadership should be determined by raw vote totals, percentages of registered voters or an internal vote; one resident offered to submit a written proposal for consideration. Councilors said the body will consider changes in a future session if members choose to pursue a formal policy.