Taylor City Council selects Dwayne Areola as mayor, names Kelly Simerick mayor pro tem

Following the swearing-in of Heather Long, the Taylor City Council elected Dwayne Areola as mayor and Kelly Simerick as mayor pro tem on June 17, 2025.

The council attorney explained the nomination and voting process to members: nominations are taken without a second, and the council votes on nominations in reverse order of nomination until a nominee receives the required votes. Members then opened nominations for mayor; Dwayne Areola was nominated and received unanimous support on a roll-call vote.

After selecting a mayor, the council followed the same process to choose a mayor pro tem. Councilmembers nominated Kelly Simerick; on roll call each councilmember voted yes, producing a unanimous selection for mayor pro tem.

During public comment earlier in the meeting, resident Jose Huerta urged that the council choose representatives whom residents trust and asked that the council defer to a citywide mayoral election in 2026. The council did not act on that suggestion; it proceeded with the internal selection process required under its rules for choosing a mayor from among council members.

Mayor Areola thanked colleagues and said he looks forward to working with the council and staff on the upcoming budget work. The council noted a budget meeting scheduled for the following week.