Florence council appoints Arthur “Snake” Neal to vacant seat after reconsideration attempt fails

The Florence Town Council on Jan. 6 appointed Arthur “Snake” Neal to fill a council vacancy until the next regular election, after a motion to reconsider the council’s earlier December action failed in a roll-call vote.

The reconsideration motion — offered by Council Member Jose Maldonado and seconded by Vice Mayor Adam — would have reopened the Dec. 15 decision and allowed the council to revisit how the vacancy was being filled. At roll call on Jan. 6 the motion failed, and the council then proceeded to consider appointing a candidate to serve until the seat is filled by the next election. The council later voted to appoint Arthur Neal; the council administered his oath the same night.

Why it matters: The appointment fills a council seat that would otherwise remain vacant until the next election, restoring a seven-member council and allowing the body to act on pending items. The process drew sustained public comment and debate about whether the town should reopen applications or confine consideration to recent candidates.

Public comment centered on the selection process. Brian Chipman, a Florence resident, urged the council not to limit consideration to a small set of prior applicants, saying the approach excluded “about 24,000 people who are qualified adults in this town” and that past practice had favored an open application process. Resident Sherry Hart said the council should “stick by what you voted on” in December and warned that repeatedly reopening votes could set a bad precedent. Courtney Ramirez, who said she did not attend the December meeting, asked the council to explain the legal process for filling vacancies so residents could better understand why some seats are appointed rather than filled by election.

Council members framed their decision as a balance between public input and the need for continuity. Vice Mayor Adam said the special meeting was intended to give the public an opportunity to speak and to be responsive, noting council members receive the agenda at the same time as the public and cannot retroactively require residents to attend. Council Member [Bucielato] and Council Member Maldonado each said they reviewed constituent emails and stood by their prior votes; Bucielato expressed concern about reversing a prior vote absent additional information.

After discussion the council moved to appoint Arthur “Snake” Neal. The motion carried with four affirmative votes and two opposing votes; the mayor administered the oath, and Neal took his seat immediately.

Council action (recorded): - Motion to reconsider Dec. 15 appointment: mover — Council Member Jose Maldonado; second — Vice Mayor Adam. Outcome: failed at roll-call vote (motion did not pass). - Motion to appoint Arthur “Snake” Neal to fill the vacancy until the next election: motion moved and seconded (recorded motion carried; affirmative votes: 4; negative votes: 2). Neal was sworn in and assumed his duties immediately.

What remains: The council will hold its next regular meeting as scheduled; the appointed member serves until the seat is filled in the next election. The public comments on whether to use an open application process or limit consideration to recent candidates were not converted into a formal direction to staff at the Jan. 6 meeting.

Neal’s swearing-in concluded the agenda item; he will participate in council business going forward.