Randy Crisler Appointed to Ward 1 City Council Seat

Randy Crisler has been appointed to complete the remainder of the late Christine "Cricky" Lang's Ward 1 council seat. 

Mayor Ron Counts made the appointment at Thursday's meeting, and the council unanimously approved it. Crisler served as a Ward 1 councilman from 2005 to 2011. Doris Borgelt defeated Chrisler in the 2011 election. 

Ms. Lang died Feb. 8 after complications from diabetes. The 44-year-old wife and mother of two served on the council since 2010. She was reelected to the Ward 1 seat in April 2012.

"I'm honored to fulfil my friend's seat," Crisler said after being sworn in.

Prior to the vote, Ward 4 Councilman Ken Moss made a motion to postpone the appointment until the first meeting in May. He said the council first learned of the mayor's recommendation Wednesday night.

"This isn't about Randy, it's about the constituents," Moss said. "The residents didn't have the opportunity to speak for or against the appointment."

The motion to postpone the appointment failed on a 5-to-2 vote. Jason Fulbright, Ward 1, Mary Elizabeth Coleman, Ward 2, Phil Amato and Paul Freeze, both of Ward 3, and Butch Cooley, Ward 4, voted against the motion. Moss and Michelle Hohmeier, Ward 2, voted in favor it.

Hohmeier said she had a problem with the fact that councilmembers did not find out until Wednesday night. She said she had heard that a special election had to be held if the councilmember was required to fill a term longer than six months.

City Attorney Bob Sweeney said according to statute, the mayor makes an appointment, and it's approved with the consent of the council. He said the mayor is not required to go to the council prior to announcing the appointment.

Amato added, "We are the only city in the state to have lost three councilmembers in three years. It's the same procedure we've used the last two times. It's painful to have to replace people."