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Mesa council selects Scott Summers as vice mayor, 4-3
Summary
The Mesa City Council voted 4-3 to name Councilmember Scott Summers vice mayor for the next two years after a discussion about possibly moving to one-year terms and how the city charter treats succession.
The Mesa City Council voted 4-3 Tuesday to name Councilmember Scott Summers vice mayor for the next two years.
The vote followed a nomination by Mayor Mark Freeman. "I'd like to start the conversation by making a motion to nominate Scott Summers as vice mayor for the next 2 years," Mayor Mark Freeman said before asking for a second.
The vote came after council members debated whether the city should move to one-year vice mayor terms. Councilmember Scott Summers said the current two-year practice ties into the city charter’s succession rules: "the vice mayor currently replaces the mayor should the mayor become incapacitated or otherwise leave office ... the vice mayor then becomes the mayor for the remainder of that term," Summers said, urging caution before changing the length of terms without clarifying charter language.
Council members discussed a one-year rotation as a possible future change; some said it could be adopted operationally, while others said it would likely require charter revisions to avoid unintended consequences. The mayor and others emphasized the vice mayor’s role as a temporary replacement when needed and the timeline the charter sets for special elections.
The mayor cast the nomination and Councilmember Rich Adams seconded it; the motion carried with four yes votes and three no votes. Mr. Freeman announced, "Mr. Summers, congratulations, you'll be our new vice mayor. We have 4 yeses and 3 noes."
