The Virginia City Council on a voice vote appointed Justin Scalco to a one-year council seat, ending Dec. 31, 2026, after a morning of timed, four-question interviews with multiple applicants.

Councilor Johnson opened the meeting by raising concerns about the process, saying, “I do have concerns that we only allotted 10 minutes for a 1 year appointment,” and asking that candidates be asked to validate that “they are have been residents of the city of Virginia and are actual residents in the city for the last 30 days.” She also noted that one applicant was absent and “was not given an opportunity to have an alternative interview date.”

Pam Levine, the city clerk, explained the process the council followed: the same protocol used for the previous vacancy, four standard questions for each candidate, 10 minutes per interview, and a paper ranking system that the clerk would average in a spreadsheet. Levine told the council the scoring method (each councilor ranks candidates and the clerk computes averages) and later reported the result: “The average of all the scores… was 2.4, and that is Justin Scalco.”

The council heard brief interviews from multiple applicants. Candidates described a mix of priorities: boosting events and recreation (one candidate praised Olcott Park and local recreation), pursuing fiscal sustainability and detailed budget review, using volunteer and nonprofit partnerships, pursuing economic-development strategies such as outreach and tax incentives to grow the tax base, and promoting downtown businesses and attraction-based tourism. Garrison Hale, who said he has roughly 35 years of experience as a city manager and county administrator, cautioned about possible reductions in state local government aid and recommended careful capital purchasing and workforce strategies.

After the clerk announced the calculated averages, a councilor moved to appoint Justin Scalco for the one-year term; the motion was moved by Councilor Bach Schneider and supported by Councilor Johnson. The council called for those in favor to say “aye,” the ayes were taken, and the mayor said, “Motion carries.” No roll-call vote or recorded tally was announced on the record.

Council discussion after the appointment included scheduling and procedural notes. The mayor said normal resolutions and appointments would be approved at the first meeting in January and that a list of open commission assignments would be circulated. Councilor Johnson asked that Committee of the Whole meeting times be reconsidered to accommodate members with day jobs.

The meeting concluded with the mayor adjourning the special Committee of the Whole at 9:46 a.m. The clerk will retain and average the scoring sheets and notify applicants of the outcome.