By Burl Rolett
Despite losing his re-election bid eight weeks ago, Lewis Plogger is back on Buena Vista City Council.
First-term Council Memberman Steve Baldridge was the lone dissenter in the 5-to-1 vote earlier this month to temporarily fill a vacancy. He said the decision was hastily made and did not allow time for public participation.
“Instead of finding additional people who might be a good person to serve on a committee or council … all we ended up having was the one former council member who got the next most votes who said he would be willing to serve again,” Baldridgehe said. “This is almost a civic opportunity dead end.”
The vacancy arose when Council Memberman Frankie Hogan resigned after he was elected mayor Nov. 8.
That same day, Baldridge was elected to City Council, while Plogger fell 30 votes short of winning re-election.
“There were obviously a number of people who didn’t vote for Lewis Plogger because he ran for re-election, but Lisa [Clark] and I got elected,” Baldridge said. “I think some of those people were actually hoping that there would be, in the mix, some other people beyond Lewis Plogger.”
“Some people ended up thinking that the council was closed to another new person,” he said. He said he asked several city officials about the proper procedures for filling the vacancy, but no one got back to him.
After Hogan’s resignation, the City Council had 45 days to fill the vacancy, Hogan said. If the council had failed to meet that deadline, he said, the Circuit Court would have made the appointment. A special election to fill the seat will take place in November.
“Some people ended up thinking that the Council was closed to another new person,” Baldridge said.
He said he asked several city officials about the proper procedures for filling the vacancy, but no one got back to him.
Four years ago, the Council held a public hearing to fill a vacancy after then-Council Memberman Mike Clements was elected mayor.
The News-Gazette in Lexington reported that the City Council advertised a public hearing before appointing Hogan to fill Clements’ seat, but the city did not place a notice in the paper this time. Instead, Hogan said the appointment was listed as an item on the council’s agenda for its Jan. 3 planning meeting.
Clerk to the City Council Dawn Moore said that the city chose not to advertise the seat this time, reasoning that everyone would already be aware of the opening after Hogan was elected mayor.
In the meantime, Plogger said he “lobbied some council members” for their votes. Baldridge said Plogger visited him at his house in November seeking his vote.
At the time, Baldridge said he could not yet say whether he would vote for Plogger, but he told him he would make a strong candidate.
At the Jan. 3 meeting however, Baldridge voted against Plogger, saying it was too early to make a decision.
Despite Baldridge’s dissent, the rest of the cCouncil voted for Plogger, a decision Hogan explained by pointing out that no one else stepped forward to fill the seat.
“No one expressed any interest in it,” he said. “It’s hard enough getting enough people to run.”
Hogan also said the city is facing a difficult budget season, and Plogger’s experience will help the cCouncil.
Plogger said he is ready to get back to work, and “keep doing things the way we’ve been doing.”