The City Council took an informal vote tonight to appoint John Mootooveren to fill the vacant council seat.
Three council members voted for Mootooveren. Independent Vince Riggi nominated retired police officer Joseph Lazzari, but no one seconded. No other names were proposed.
Voting for Mootooveren were council President Denise Brucker and members Leesa Perazzo and Carl Erikson. The other three council members could not vote because they were not on the committee that considered the issue, though they could offer names for the vote.
At next Monday’s council meeting, the entire council will vote. A candidate can only be appointed by a majority vote.
Mootooveren ran for council last fall but fell just short of winning.
Some said he should get the seat because thousands voted for him. Others said the voters had spoken, and advocated for Weed and Seed coordinator Marion Porterfield.
Porterfield had been the Democratic committee’s alternate and was endorsed to fill a vacancy if the Democrats swept the council and the mayor’s seat. That didn’t happen: Vince Riggi, who was endorsed by the Republicans and Alliance Party, won a council seat.
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