Trending
MOUNDSVILLE - City leaders called upon Brianna Hickman to again fill a vacancy at the city council table through 2024.
Moundsville city council member Denny Wallace had been elected to a four-year term in 2020, but had stopped attending council meetings late last year for health reasons. Following the Sept. 20 meeting, council members met in executive session for more than an hour, conducting interviews with six prospective candidates and deliberating internally to select a candidate to fill Wallace's spot.
City Manager Rick Healy said the candidates were all well-qualified and that the selection was close, but Hickman pulled through in the end.
"After the last candidate went through - they were all asked the same questions - council sat together and discussed the opportunities that each would bring, and their strengths and weaknesses," Healy said. "Through discussion, in the end, Brianna seemed to be the pick.
"It was very close, there were very good candidates, but in the end Brianna was the one council chose to fill the unexpired term."
Healy said the executive session lasted around 75 minutes.
Hickman had previously been selected by council in February 2020 to serve the unexpired term of David Haynes, who had resigned his at-large seat in late 2019. Hickman had run for election that same year, but had been defeated, along with incumbent Phil Remke, by Wallace and Randy Chamberlain.
She had attended Tuesday's council meeting remotely, joining the meeting via Zoom. Hickman was out of town for the first week of October and was unable to be reached by phone for further comment.