Council appoints and swears in new member to fill vacant seat

The Georgetown Village Council voted to fill a vacant seat at Monday’s meeting, and the person chosen was sworn into office immediately afterward.

Council member Pringle moved to appoint a candidate to the seat that has roughly a year and a half remaining; Council member Jones provided a second, and the motion passed on a roll-call vote called by the clerk. After the vote, the mayor administered the oath and the appointee recited the pledge to support the U.S. and the Ohio constitutions and to uphold the village charter and ordinances.

The transcript records the nomination as “Cody Hicks” during the motion to appoint and later records the oath with the sworn individual saying “I, Cody Hittles.” The council’s roll call during that item shows multiple affirmative votes on the appointment. The mayor welcomed the new council member and invited them to participate in committees and future meetings.

The mayor noted the appointment fills an unexpired term (about 18 months) and reminded the new member that they would need to run in the next regular election if they choose to keep the seat. The council encouraged the appointee to stay involved and mentioned committee opportunities as a way to get started.

Next steps: the appointee will serve the remainder of the unexpired term and may decide whether to seek election at the next scheduled contest for that seat.