Tumwater’s City Council elected Council member Kelly Von Holtz as mayor pro tem at the Jan. 6 meeting.

Nominations opened for mayor pro tem and the council nominated Eileen Swarthout and Kelly Von Holtz. The first round of voting resulted in a three‑and‑three tie; council then conducted a roll‑call second ballot and the majority elected Von Holtz to the two‑year post for 2026–2027.

The mayor pro tem serves as presiding officer in the mayor’s absence and may represent the city at functions. Council members discussed logistics for future votes and thanked nominees for stepping forward.