Prescott Valley appointed Kimberly Lopez to the Town Council on May 20 after interviewing four applicants to fill a vacant seat. The council moved into executive session to evaluate candidates and then returned to public session to record nominations and vote; the council confirmed Lopez by majority vote.

The appointment matters because it fills a seat that will remain occupied through the next regularly scheduled council election in 2026. As the clerk explained during the meeting, "the appointed term will serve until the next regular council election," and the person appointed tonight may choose to run in August to seek the remainder of the original four-year term.

Council members conducted public interviews of four applicants — Bruce Evans, Gary Kyle, Jennifer Gray and Kimberly Lopez — who each gave opening statements and answered a predetermined set of questions. Candidates emphasized similar priorities: managing growth, affordable or attainable housing, building community identity and increasing resident engagement. Lopez told the council she was motivated by "a sense of pride" in the community and by creating opportunities for teachers, first responders and young families to live in Prescott Valley.

The council followed the process explained at the start of the meeting: each candidate gave an opening statement, answered six preset questions in rotation, and the council then met in executive session for deliberations pursuant to state statute. A motion to convene the executive session referenced "Arizona revised statute section 38 dash 4 31" in the meeting record. After deliberations, the clerk announced that "the majority goes to Kimberly Lopez," and the council moved and seconded a formal motion to appoint Lopez; the motion carried.

During their remarks, several council members and applicants highlighted local concerns that had featured in the interviews: growth and traffic, water conservation and wildlife preservation, economic diversification and recreational and cultural programming. Candidates proposed a mix of approaches, including citizen advisory groups, outreach beyond social media, partnering with businesses and schools to build community events, and targeted infrastructure planning for long-term growth.

Mayor Pagoda, addressing the applicants before the executive session, thanked all four and said, "I truly believe that any 1 of you 4 would make amazing council members." The council chair and clerk followed the town's established procedure for nominating and tallying candidates after executive session and then moved a public motion to appoint Lopez to the vacancy.

Lopez will serve until the next regular council election in 2026; the council did not record a roll-call vote in the public transcript beyond the clerk's announcement that the motion passed. The meeting concluded with the appointment confirmed and the council adjourning.