Mayor appoints Leanne Bustos to Ward 1 after tied council nomination

Mayor Farmer announced the appointment of Leanne Bustos to fill the Ward 1 vacancy after the council failed to elect a replacement by majority vote.

The process began when the mayor asked the law director to read the relevant text of the Clayton Charter (section 3.09), which says if the council does not elect a person to fill a vacancy within 30 days the mayor may appoint someone to serve. Council member Tim Gorman nominated Dennis Lieberman, but a roll call on that nomination produced three yes votes and three no votes, leaving no council majority.

"So there is not a consensus or a majority," Mayor Farmer said after the roll call and added, "Given that, I'd like to go ahead and make the selection of Miss Leanne Bustos as Ward 1 council member for the remainder of the term." The law director told the council the 30-day period had expired and that a mayoral appointment was appropriate.

Bustos was sworn in during the meeting. The oath was administered by the mayor and Bustos took her seat at the council table; council members offered welcome remarks.

Why it matters: The appointment resolves the Ward 1 vacancy without another council vote. Council members raised procedural questions about whether the earlier attempt at a council appointment complied with the charter; the law director advised the mayoral appointment was consistent with the 30-day rule.

What happens next: Bustos will serve the remainder of the term; the appointment took effect immediately following the oath. The council did not take a separate recorded vote to confirm the mayor's selection during the meeting.