COEUR D’ALENE, Idaho — was marred by a dispute over a council seat nomination.
, proposed former Fire Chief Kenny Gabriel to take over Councilmember Woody McEvers’ seat, as
The proposal faced opposition from Councilmembers Dan English, Dan Gookin and Christie Wood, who argued that filling the seat before it was officially vacant was premature. “In my 24 years as an elected official, I’ve learned that the public prefers to be involved in decisions regarding elected positions,” Wood said.
The vote resulted in a tie, and Hammond chose not to cast the deciding vote to avoid further conflict. The city attorney noted that the decision will now fall to McEvers, who can make the nomination at the next city council meeting scheduled for early September.
