Council appoints Denise Nicolash to fill Midvale District 5 seat after interview and runoff process

The Midvale City Council appointed Denise Nicolash to the District 5 council seat after interviewing eight candidates during a special meeting and then voting to approve a formal resolution.

The council filled the vacancy created when the sitting council member became mayor. City Manager Ben Dahl told the council the appointment process would follow state law: each candidate had three minutes for remarks followed by a five-minute council question period, and council members would cast paper ballots with a coin toss used to break ties if required.

Why it matters: The appointee will take office immediately and serve the remainder of the term, meaning the council will have a District 5 representative in place for ongoing items including downtown redevelopment, the planned recreation center and a forthcoming food-truck plaza.

Council procedure and interviews Eight candidates spoke to the council in a structured interview format. Candidates emphasized local priorities such as downtown redevelopment, public-safety support for Unified Police and Unified Fire, trails and open-space connectivity, affordability and resident outreach. For example, one candidate, Luke Mains, said he wanted to "take that same level of ownership for all the people in this district" that he brings to his professional work, and several candidates said they planned to run for election in the seat at the next regular election.

First-round and runoff voting In the first round of paper-ballot voting, Denise Nicolash received two votes, Jeanette Hernandez received one vote and Wayne Sharp received one vote; no candidate reached the three-vote threshold needed to win outright in that first round. That produced a runoff between Hernandez and Sharp. The council followed the prescribed tie-break procedures described by city staff — including a coin toss if necessary — before proceeding to a final selection. After the runoff process and a formal motion to ratify the selection, the council approved a resolution appointing Denise Nicolash to serve as the District 5 council member for the remainder of the term. The council then adopted the formal appointment resolution by roll call vote.

Formal actions taken The council passed a resolution appointing Denise Nicolash to fill the District 5 vacancy with an effective term noted in the resolution as commencing Jan. 7, 2025 and concluding Jan. 5, 2026. The council also approved an administrative resolution that updated board and committee assignments for the city, making procedural adjustments to committee liaisons and filling vacancies in the city—s committee roster.

What comes next Nicolash was congratulated by the mayor and sworn in immediately; staff indicated they would complete onboarding paperwork and committee assignments promptly so she could participate in council business. The appointee will serve until the end of the term specified in the resolution.

Votes at a glance - Resolution 2025-R-01: Appoint Denise Nicolash as District 5 council member (term Jan. 7, 2025Jan. 5, 2026). Motion introduced and the council adopted the resolution (approved; roll-call recorded in the meeting minutes). - Resolution 2025-R-02: Adopt updated board and committee assignments for City of Midvale. Motion introduced and adopted by the council (approved; roll-call recorded in the meeting minutes).