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Astoria council appoints Joshua Conklin to Ward 4 after STAR voting tie
Summary
After a candidate forum and STAR-style ranking, the Astoria City Council appointed Joshua Conklin to the vacant Ward 4 seat on Dec. 1. A point tie at the top between Conklin and Mike Brocious was resolved by a council motion to appoint Conklin, followed by a unanimous roll-call vote.
The Astoria City Council on Dec. 1 appointed Joshua Conklin to the Ward 4 seat following a public candidate forum, public comment, and a STAR-style ranked voting tally by councilors that produced a tie between Conklin and Mike Brocious.
Council staff outlined the appointment process in advance: five applicants would answer questions in a set order, the public would have two-minute comments (Ward 4 residents prioritized), and councilors would fill out ballots that city staff tallied. After members completed ballots and staff tallied points on-screen, the council saw the results: Colin Cummings 16, CJ Bell 3, Lisa Morley 11, Mike Brocious 17 and Joshua Conklin 17.
With Brocious and Conklin tied for the highest point total, councilors discussed procedure and public input. Several Ward 4 residents had spoken during public comment in support of specific candidates. Jim Summers, one public commenter, told the council: "I respectfully urge the council to appoint Josh Conklin," expressing the view that Conklin "is exactly the kind of thoughtful community-minded leader Astoria needs." Other public endorsements favored Mike Brocious and Lisa Morley; councilors said they weighed both public comment from Ward 4 and their own assessment of candidates' experience and availability.
Councilor Davis moved and Councilor Adams seconded a motion to appoint Joshua Conklin as the Ward 4 councilor. The council took a roll-call vote (Councilor Davis Aye; Councilor Mozzarella Aye; Councilor Adams Aye; Mayor Fitzpatrick Aye). The motion carried and Mayor Fitzpatrick welcomed Conklin to the dais. Conklin was then sworn in; he repeated the oath to "support the constitutions of The United States of America and State of Oregon, the Charter of the City of Astoria, and the laws thereof," and to "faithfully and honorably fulfill the duties of the councilor of the City of Astoria."
Council discussion included procedural explanations of the STAR method, reminders that the city charter allows either appointment or a special election, and comments emphasizing that appointees must represent both Ward 4 concerns and the city as a whole. The council did not take additional binding action on candidate-related policies at the meeting.
