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Astoria council appoints Joshua Conklin to Ward 4 after STAR voting tie
Summary
After STAR voting produced a tie between two finalists, the Astoria City Council appointed Joshua Conklin to the vacant Ward 4 seat on Dec. 1, 2025; Conklin was sworn in immediately and took the council dais.
The Astoria City Council appointed Joshua Conklin to the vacant Ward 4 seat Dec. 1 after a STAR-style ranking produced a tie for top points between two candidates. Councilors used a motion-and-roll-call format to finalize the appointment.
Assistant Ryan Quigley tallied councilors' STAR scores and reported a tie: Mike Brocious and Joshua Conklin each received 17 points; Colin Cummings was close behind with 16, Lisa Morley had 11 and CJ Bell had 3. Councilor Davis moved to appoint Joshua Conklin as the Ward 4 councilor; Councilor Adams seconded. The roll call recorded Aye from Councilors Davis, Mozzarella, Adams and Mayor Fitzpatrick and the motion carried. Conklin was sworn in immediately by the city’s finance director; at the oath he stated, “I, Joshua Conklin, do solemnly swear that starting on 12/01/2025 I will support the constitutions of The United States Of America and State of Oregon, the Charter of the City Of Astoria, and the laws thereof.”
The process drew broad public comment: dozens of Ward 4 residents and supporters spoke during the allotted public-comment period, endorsing several different candidates. Some commenters and at least one resident said the appointment process felt less democratic than an election; councilors replied that the charter allows appointment and promised transparency about how they weighed Ward 4 input and other factors.
