The Augusta City Council on Jan. 6 appointed two new members to fill open seats in Wards 1 and 4 after a public interview process that drew more than a dozen applicants. Council selected Matt Licklider for Ward 1 and Allison Weade for Ward 4.

City staff explained the vacancy process under the city code and said the council needed at least four votes of the remaining members to appoint a candidate because one member was absent. The city had solicited applications and received 12 applicants; one withdrew, leaving four for Ward 1 and seven for Ward 4.

The council agreed to a fair-process approach: council members proposed questions, the mayor selected two to ask all candidates, and each applicant had about three minutes to introduce themselves and answer the questions. Candidates who spoke described priorities including downtown growth, fiscal stewardship, grant-seeking, pedestrian infrastructure, and public safety.

Mayor (speaker 2) thanked outgoing councilmember Jeff Brown for his service, saying, “I wanna thank you for your dedication and your service to our community.” Candidates who addressed the council included Christina Langer, who emphasized communication and community resilience, and Matt Leclater, who said, “Augusta is great,” and urged council review of large budget items such as the airport.

After candidate presentations, councilmembers nominated and voted. Speaker 1 moved to elect Matt Licklider to Ward 1; the council counted raised hands and the mayor announced four votes in favor and appointed him. For Ward 4, a nomination for Allison Weade received no further nominations and the council confirmed her by vote; the mayor reminded appointees about upcoming filing deadlines for future elections.

The appointees will be sworn in at the next council meeting. Councilmembers emphasized that the appointment process — designed because of an unusual number of applicants — does not preclude those who were not chosen from running in the next regular election.

Votes at a glance: the council validated the vacancy process, confirmed the Ward 1 appointee by a 4-vote count, and confirmed the Ward 4 appointee after a voice/hand vote.

The council’s next regular meeting is scheduled for Jan. 20, when the newly appointed members are expected to take the oath of office.