Brookings mayor to step down in January; council opens applications to fill vacancy

Mayor Hodges announced that he will resign at the Jan. 12, 2026, council meeting, and the council is accepting applications for the open council seat through Dec. 15, the council said during remarks on Dec. 8.

An unidentified council member explained the expected process, saying the mayor intends to step down at the Jan. 12 meeting and the council will interview applicants immediately after that meeting. The speaker said the council—s approach assumes one of the four sitting council members may step into the mayoral role and that, if no sitting council member steps up, the council could appoint an applicant directly as mayor and then backfill the council seat with another selected applicant.

Councilors discussed timing and statutory requirements. One councilor noted a 60-day window to fill a vacancy; another confirmed that Councilor Martin would preside as acting chair after the mayor—s resignation. Council members encouraged qualified residents to apply for the open seat and said they would consider a special meeting before January if needed to address the appointment process.

What this means: The council clarified deadline dates for applications (open Dec. 1 through Dec. 15 as stated by staff) and described possible sequencing: appointment of a mayor from the sitting council or appointment of an applicant to the mayor—s seat followed by appointment to the council vacancy. Councilors said they will schedule interviews and consider formal appointment at an upcoming meeting.

Next steps: The council will continue processing applications and expects to address the vacancy in January. Interested residents were encouraged to submit applications by the Dec. 15 deadline.