Capitola council appoints Margo Morgan to fill vacant seat; Joe Clark named mayor, Peterson chosen vice mayor

Capitola City Council on Jan. 28, 2025, appointed Margo Morgan to the vacant council seat and later selected Joe Clark as mayor and Councilmember Peterson as vice mayor.

Council members voted 4–0 to appoint Morgan to serve the remainder of the two-year term. The appointments to internal leadership positions followed: the council voted unanimously to make Joe Clark mayor, and later approved a motion to appoint Councilmember Peterson as vice mayor, which carried 3–1 (Mayor Clark voted no on the vice mayor motion).

The council began the item with staff describing a proposed modified ranked-choice system—also described as an order-of-merit voting method—under which council members would rank candidates and points would be assigned to determine a winner. Staff told the council the method is a tool and that a formal motion and majority vote are still required to make the appointment.

Dozens of members of the public spoke during the comment period. Several speakers urged the council to appoint Susan Westman, citing her local experience and a large number of written recommendations submitted to the council. Other public speakers, including precinct voters and former candidates, urged the council to respect the outcome of the November election and to choose someone who can provide continuity. At least one public speaker, representing a group calling itself Concerned Citizens of Capitola, said it had filed a notice of intent to recall Councilmember Peterson and listed multiple ethics-related allegations; Councilmember Peterson denied the allegations and said a nonprofit that had received a community grant returned the funds.

In council deliberations, members repeatedly returned to two themes: whether to prioritize the preferences of voters in the recent election and whether the appointee should be able to step into current projects and budgets immediately. Several council members cited Morgan’s four years of recent council experience, knowledge of the budget and staffing, and her stated intent not to run in 2026 as reasons to appoint her for continuity. Others noted the strong public support for Susan Westman and for additional outreach but ultimately the council coalesced around Morgan.

Following the appointment vote, the council recessed briefly and then conducted an oath of office for Morgan.

Votes at a glance: - Appointment of Margo Morgan to fill vacant council seat — Motion passed unanimously (4–0). Roll call votes recorded: Councilmember Jensen: Aye; Councilmember Orbach: Aye; Councilmember Peterson: Aye; Vice Mayor Clark: Aye. - Appointment of Joe Clark as mayor — Motion passed unanimously (vote recorded as unanimous by roll call). - Appointment of Councilmember Peterson as vice mayor — Motion carried 3–1 (Mayor Clark indicated No).

What the council directed next: staff had presented the order-of-merit option as a fall-back process; the council used a combination of public comment, spoken preferences and a final formal motion/vote to make the appointment. Council members asked staff to retain materials related to the candidate evaluations and public submissions for the record.

Ending: Morgan was sworn into office the same evening. The council also updated its leadership assignments and returned to other agenda business.