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El Mirage council appoints Jacqueline Parsons as vice mayor after contested nominations
Summary
The El Mirage Common Council voted to appoint Councilmember Jacqueline Parsons to the office of vice mayor on Jan. 20, 2025, after a discussion that included competing nominations and procedural objections. The roll call showed five members voting yes, one member recorded an abstention and one member's vote was not recorded in the roll call.
The El Mirage Common Council on Jan. 20 appointed Councilmember Jacqueline Parsons as the city's new vice mayor after a period of debate and competing nominations.
Council members discussed two nominations: Vice Mayor Monica Dorsey moved to appoint Jacqueline Parsons; Councilmember Scottie Gentry later nominated Anita Norton McDaniel. After extended discussion and a procedural clarification from the city attorney, the council took a roll-call vote. The roll call showed five members voting yes, one member recorded an abstention and one member's vote was not specified on the record; the motion to appoint Parsons carried.
The nomination prompted a debate about experience and council cohesion. Dorsey, who made the motion, said the vice mayor should be someone who “communicate and work with all of the council members,” and said she had seen those qualities in Parsons during the weeks Parsons had served on the council. Councilmember Ryan Eldridge described the vice mayor as “a spokesperson for the community” who must “work with everyone on the council without allowing personal differences to interfere.”
Councilmember Gentry objected to the timing and procedure for the nomination, saying, “I said I was speaking first and I got cut off,” and later requested a procedural review; City Attorney Justin responded that recognizing and managing discussion is within the chair’s discretion and that he saw no procedural error in the nomination process.
Parsons, who spoke in her own defense during the discussion, said she believes “an effective collaboration is essential for our city council success” and expressed willingness to learn and serve in the role.
After the vote the mayor congratulated Parsons and the council moved on to the next item.
Discussion points, procedural clarifications and the recorded roll-call result are included in the council minutes. The council did not take any additional formal action tied to the vice mayor appointment at this meeting.
