Nampa council rejects two immediate mayor appointments, agrees to open application process

The Nampa City Council on Wednesday considered two separate motions to fill the mayoral vacancy but rejected both, then directed staff and council members to develop an application and interview process for future appointments.

Council president opened the short special meeting to discuss the vacancy, stressing the session was not a public hearing and that the council would not take public testimony. The president read a letter from former mayor Debbie Kling requesting an appointment and moved to appoint Kling with instructions for notice by April 30 and an oath and start date in early May; that motion failed on a 2-4 roll-call vote.

Councilman Reynolds, who opposed an immediate appointment, said, "I don't think that I'm ready to vote today. I feel like we haven't had discussions from this dais, to, to get to that place," and urged interviews and vetting similar to a candidate forum. Councilwoman Jangula said the mayor is the operational head of a large organization and emphasized continuity: "We have 815 employees," she said, arguing for a leader who can keep day-to-day functions steady through budget season.

After the Kling motion failed, the council considered a second motion to appoint Clay Long, the city's chief of staff, contingent on his establishing qualified-elector residency and submitting documentation by June 5, 2026, with an oath and start by mid-June. Several council members praised Long's work but raised a central objection: his current residence outside Nampa city limits. Councilwoman Skagg summarized the concern: she said she could not vote for someone who does not live in the city, noting residency rules that have governed past filings.

Legal counsel later advised the council that Idaho statute requires the council to fill the vacancy but provides broad discretion about the method: "The procedure, the manner that you want to do it is up to council," counsel said, and noted a temporary 90-day resolution that grants executive-function authority to the council president can be extended if necessary.

The motion to appoint Long failed as well after a roll-call vote that included multiple no votes and one abstention recorded; the council treated the abstention according to procedure and proceeded. Rather than appointing a mayor at the meeting, council members agreed to develop a formal application and review process. One council member suggested using a neutral third-party mediator to manage the selection process; the president said that possibility would be explored but was not on the agenda as a motion.

The meeting closed with instructions that a draft application form would be circulated to councilors, posted on the city website, and followed by a brief review and interview period, with councilors aiming to reconvene in a few weeks to consider applicants. The council adjourned shortly after the discussion.

The council took no appointment action at the meeting; it will continue the process with applications, interviews and additional public-meeting steps.