Sandpoint to decide on new mayor

by Cameron Rasmusson Staff Writer
| January 14, 2014 6:00 AM

SANDPOINT — The recently-reformed Sandpoint City Council has an essential task for its first order of business: the appointment of a new mayor.

With the passing of Mayor Marsha Ogilvie, council members must determine a new mayor to serve out the remaining two years of the mayoral term. Council members will make their decision at their regular Wednesday meeting, set for 5:30 p.m. at Sandpoint City Hall.

As council president and the most experienced council member, Carrie Logan has already been exercising many of the mayoral duties.

In November, Ogilvie empowered Logan with limited mayoral authority as the mayor pro tempore. At the time, this was simply a way to remove much of the office’s routine tasks from Ogilvie’s plate so she could focus on her medical treatments. Logan handled duties like signing bills and paperwork and officiating meetings. Meanwhile, Ogilvie handled major decisions such as the appointment of Bill Aitken to the City Council.

With the office now vacant, Logan’s pro tem duties will continue until Wednesday, at which point council members will nominate and vote upon a new mayor. The person appointed will take on full mayoral powers until the beginning of 2016.

As the pro tem mayor, Logan is one likely candidate for nomination, especially since she’s expressed a willingness to take on the responsibility. However, that means she’ll also have to nominate a replacement to take her council seat at some point in the future, and that individual will have to be approved by other members.

Other than the appointment of a new mayor, there are few other agenda items for new council members Bob Camp and Shannon Williamson to cut their teeth on in their first official meeting. The only other item on the agenda, aside from the consent calendar, is an executive session to “conduct deliberations concerning labor negotiations or acquire an interest in real property” and “communicate with legal counsel for the public agency to discuss the legal ramifications of and legal options for pending litigation.”