Mayfield Heights council elects Mister Medic president after tied first ballot; appoints pro tem, commission and cemetery reps

Mayfield Heights — The Mayfield Heights City Council elected Mister Medic as council president on Jan. 6 after an initial 3–3 tie and a subsequent withdrawal of the opposing nominee. Council then completed several organizational appointments and approved a process to advertise for a vacancy created by Mayor Diane Snyder’s council role.

The meeting opened with a roll call and the Pledge of Allegiance. The presiding officer said the meeting’s purpose was to elect a council president, a council president pro tem, a council representative to the planning commission and a representative to the Mayfield Union Cemetery Board of Trustees.

Mister Medic and Miss Talbin were nominated for council president. After the first roll call produced a 3–3 tie, the council opened the floor for brief remarks from each nominee. Mister Medic described his local service and experience: “I’ve been in the city now 8 years. I’ve worked for the city now 7 years, 5 years BZA,” and noted work on beautification, the aquatic center and other committees. Miss Talbin said she would bring meeting-design and outreach experience and suggested holding town halls; she told members she is retiring this year and would have time to commit to the role.

Miss Talbin later withdrew her nomination. The council then held a final roll call and elected Mister Medic unanimously (6–0) to serve as council president. Mister Medic took the chair and thanked members before moving to the next items on the agenda.

The council elected Kathy Talaman (referred to in the meeting transcript as Miss Talbin/Talvin) as council president pro tem for a two-year term by roll call (5–1). King Miner was nominated and elected unanimously as the council representative to the planning commission; he said his master’s in urban design and professional background relate to planning work. For the Mayfield Union Cemetery Board of Trustees, Jessica Finney Brown explained her personal interest and local involvement and was elected unanimously after Michael Buffa withdrew his candidacy in her favor.

After finishing the organizational items, the council adjourned the regular meeting and convened a special meeting to move into an executive session to discuss the appointment of a public official. Following executive session, the council reconvened and approved a motion to “fulfill Mayor Diane Snyder’s council role,” instructing staff to advertise the vacancy beginning the next day with an application deadline of Jan. 15 and to hold interviews in January, “depending on the number of applicants starting at 05:30,” as stated by a motion-maker. The motion to approve the advertising and interview timeline passed by roll call (unanimous yes).

Votes at a glance: - Council president — Motion to elect Mister Medic: final roll call 6 yes, 0 no (Mister Medic elected). - Council president pro tem — Kathy Talaman: roll call 5 yes, 1 no (elected to a two-year term). - Planning commission representative — King Miner: unanimous yes (appointed). - Mayfield Union Cemetery Board representative — Jessica Finney Brown: unanimous yes (appointed). - Motion to enter executive session to discuss appointment of a public official: roll call unanimous yes (entered executive session). - Motion to advertise to fill Mayor Diane Snyder’s council role (advertise immediately, application deadline Jan. 15; interviews in January starting at 5:30 p.m., depending on applicants): roll call unanimous yes (approved).

What comes next: The council approved advertising for the mayoral-vacancy appointment and set a Jan. 15 application deadline; interviews are planned in January. The council will reconvene to consider appointment next as part of its regular or special meetings.

Reporting note: Quotes and vote tallies are taken from the council’s Jan. 6, 2026 meeting transcript. If members or staff release additional written materials (application details, job description, interview schedule), those will provide further procedural specifics.