Keystone Heights swears in Brandon Logan after council members debate appointment process

Brandon Logan was sworn in Dec. 16 to fill a council vacancy, and he addressed the council and public after taking the oath.

Public commenter Christine Arnold urged clearer, more inclusive process for filling vacancies, saying the Nov. 17 agenda and supporting materials did not indicate an immediate appointment would be made and that "the process did not feel fair or predictable." Arnold submitted a written statement for the record and asked the council to improve public notice for future appointments.

A council member apologized directly to residents and to a person identified in the discussion, saying, "I apologize to you and the citizens that we did not offer this up to the public. I think we made a mistake." At the same time another council member defended the council's action, noting the appointment process followed the city charter. Council members explained that charter provisions allow the council to appoint a person to fill a vacancy until the next regular election and reviewed the timeline for filing to run in April.

After taking the oath, Logan thanked family and community members, described himself as a fourth-generation Keystone Heights resident and said he looked forward to serving. He praised volunteers and recent projects, including a downtown mural, streetscape work and beach renovations. The mayor welcomed Logan and asked the council to take photos with the new member.

Council members said the appointed person will serve until the next election cycle; the council noted the filing window for candidates opens in late January and that anyone wishing to run in April must file paperwork in that window. The transcript records the swearing-in and public remarks but does not include a separate roll-call vote on the appointment itself.