Yelm City Councilor Stephanie Kangiser voted as mayor pro tem

Yelm City Council has elected a new Mayor Pro Tem following the departure of former councilor and fill-in mayor, Joshua Crossman.

During a Yelm City Council meeting on Tuesday, Jan. 13, councilor Stephanie Kangiser was elected to become the city’s new mayor pro tem after a 5-2 vote. Councilors Joseph Richardson, Griselda Arias, Kangiser, Brian Hess and David Johnstone each voted in favor of the election, while councilors Tracey Wood and Terry Kaminski each voted against the decision.

Prior to the vote taking place, Mayor Joe DePinto explained that councilors could nominate themself or another councilor for the role of mayor pro tem. He clarified that once nominations are closed, the candidates for the position would be asked to say a few words about why they should serve that role.

Once the nominations are in place and speeches have been given, the first nominee to receive four votes from the council would be designated as mayor pro tem. The vote coincided in the order of which each councilor was nominated.

Additionally, the role of mayor pro tem is a two-year term.

Prior to nominations taking place, councilor Wood brought up some concerns about how the vote is handled.

“With conversations with the individual council members after, there was some question to the actual fairness of that because nobody else got an opportunity to really even discuss anything,” Wood said. “It was a matter of ‘I move’ and that was it. I’m hoping we don’t run across that situation again because it seems like we’re not getting a full perspective of the council as far as who, we as a group, feels is the best representative.”

DePinto responded by stating everyone nominated would have the opportunity to speak before the vote took place. He believes each candidate would be heard by council.

“Whoever you want to get it, you can choose whoever. If whoever gets the four votes, that’s going to be the majority of the council,” DePinto said. “If there’s a majority of the council that wants the first candidate, that candidate is going to be it. If they don’t, we’ll go to the next and the next until that person is chosen.”

Following DePinto’s remarks, Richardson, the first council to present a nomination during the meeting, nominated Johnstone to become the next mayor pro tem.

Hess then nominated Kangiser, and was followed by Kaminski nominating herself for the position. With the three candidates in place, the nominees each took some time to speak to why they should become mayor pro tem.

“I’m unbiased,” Johnstone said. “I have no conflicts of interest. I’d be happy to take on the role.”

Kangiser said she would be honored to serve as Yelm’s mayor pro tem.

“I feel that I consistently study all of it — what the big picture looks like entirely,” Kangiser said. “I am fully confident in your skills as a mayor to go to each of the events, and things like that, but if you cannot make it I would be delighted to step in.”

Kaminski said the experience as Mayor Pro Tem would be new to her, despite serving on the council for nine years.

“I’m entering my ninth year on council and I feel like I have the senior position here — other than Tracey (Wood),” Kaminski said. “It’s an experience I would like to have. In this process, it’s one of the things I haven’t done. I think I would enjoy it.”

Johnstone was the first candidate voted upon, and the motion to see him become the next mayor pro tem failed 3-4. Wood, Richardson and Johnstone each voted in favor of him filling the position.

Kangiser was the second, and final, vote for mayor pro tem, and was elected 5-2 by her fellow councilors.

“This is what I was concerned about,” Wood said. “As you saw, one of the councilors changed their vote on this … if we were given one vote, that wouldn’t be the case. Being the situation as it is, we got four votes, I only think it would be fair to give council member Kaminski an opportunity to be voted on as well.”

Kaminski added that she was disadvantaged because she was the third councilor to receive a nomination — thus being the final councilor to potentially be voted on.

“I don’t think it is a disadvantage,” DePinto said. “If the person you wanted to win, let’s say was councilor Kaminski, the council would’ve waited for their vote. They would’ve withheld their votes and we would’ve gotten it.”