WASHINGTON — With the votes canvassed and an oath of office taken, Washington Mayor Millie Youngquist is “pro tem” no more, swearing in at the beginning of a city council meeting Tuesday night.
Youngquist won a four-way election the week prior, to finish the mayoral term started by Jaron Rosien, who resigned in February after a yearlong unpaid leave of absence spent fighting a legal battle over charges of third degree sexual abuse, which he denies. The term lasts through 2025.
The change will take some getting used to: Youngquist was mistakenly called on to vote or accidentally voted as a council member three times throughout the meeting, a duty not bestowed upon the city’s mayor.
“I’ve got to get used to that,” she joked. “Voting for a year as mayor pro tem, it’s a little hard to change.”
The newly filled mayoral office has created a new vacancy, however: Youngquist’s former at-large city council seat, which doesn’t expire until 2027.
Council Members debated whether to appoint a replacement to the decision-making position, or to hold yet another special election. For the moment, they’ve opted to pursue the first option.
“We’re getting pretty close to the summer, and we’re going to do a lot of things this summer,” Council Member Fran Stigers said. “I think we need a full council.”
City Clerk Amanda Waugh said those interested in an appointment could come to City Hall or the municipal website for paperwork to put their names in the hat. The deadline to submit that form is May 17 by 2 p.m. The council tentatively plans to appoint an applicant at its next meeting on May 21.
A motion to set that schedule passed on a 4-1 vote, with Stigers voted no. After the meeting, he said would’ve preferred a more immediate appointment.
Asked who he would pick, Stigers implied he was ready to appoint recent Mayoral Candidate Rob Meyer, who was also present at the meeting, seated among the public.
Others, however, said they wanted to get the word out for other interested residents of the city, before making a choice.
“You need to find out who might be interested,” Council Member Illa Earnest said. “I think it’d be interesting to find out who else would be interested.”
Earnest, a former city clerk, said the council had used appointments to fill such positions before. The city appointed former mayor Sandra Johnson to that office in 2008, for example, after her predecessor, Rick Cicalo, died. Council members later went on to appoint a replacement for Johnson’s council seat as well.
While the council tentatively plans to appoint its next member, constituents could force an election instead. To do so, residents of Washington would have to organize and file a petition to hold an election to fill the vacancy, within 14 days of the appointment’s announcement, or as early as May 9, when the city will issue a public notice of its intent to appoint.
Based on turnout for the last regular election, said petition would need at least 45 signatures to override the city’s appointment plans.
City officials said the county advised its ideal special election dates were July 2 or Aug. 2, due to tight schedules at the newly established Washington County Fairgrounds polling place, which will be busy preparing for, hosting, and cleaning up from its titular event in the intervening weeks.
Also at Tuesday night’s meeting, Youngquist appointed Earnest as the new mayor pro tem. The proposal was approved in a 4-0 vote, with Earnest abstaining. The mayor said Earnest had “lots of experience,” citing the council member’s time in office and former role as Washington’s city clerk.
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