Diamond City has new mayor

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Troy Burleson has returned to the center chair as mayor of Diamond City. Burleson will continue in the role until a duly elected mayor is sworn in on Jan. 1st.

The Harrison Daily Times reports, at a marathon meeting Tuesday, the city council selected Burleson to lead city government through the remainder of Jan Hudson’s term. The council accepted Hudson’s June letter of resignation Aug. 16th. The council has been in turmoil for several months, leaving it unable to conduct business in a normal fashion.

Tuesday’s nearly five-hour meeting included two executive sessions.

In addition to Burleson, Diamond City has a new city attorney, Steven Grady. Grady has a long, prioritized list of tasks for the council to address, and Tuesday’s agenda showed determination to catch up on neglected work.

Still, one item loomed above everything — the council’s selection of an interim mayor. Councilman Rick Van Dyke put the name of former Mayor Burleson into consideration, noting he has served as councilman, mayor, and chief of police for the city, and as a member of the Lead Hill School Board and the Boone County Quorum Court.

Jim Wisnieski offered his services to continue as interim mayor. He has been serving without pay in that capacity for the past three months, since Hudson took an extended leave of absence.

After Grady explained the process for selecting an interim mayor, the five members of the council — Rick Van Dyke, Wisnieski, Larry Brown, Don Bennett, and Gina Whited — then retired to executive session. Council member Carolyn Arnold was absent.

About 20 minutes later, they returned and announced they were unable to reach a consensus.

The public then weighed in, imploring the council to try again.

They commented if Recorder Tina Jackson were required to take on the duties of mayor, somebody would have to be found and trained to do her job. If Wisnieski were to be selected, someone would need to be found, inducted and trained to take over his seat on the council.

The city, they contended, would be served by choosing someone with no current position in city government.

Grady stepped in at a few points to steer citizens away from the tendency toward personal attack.

Burleson asked the council members for a chance to present his case to them. Several people had pointed to his experience and leadership as qualities the city could not afford to waste.

The council voted to retire to a second executive session. After a few minutes, they invited Burleson in. About 30 minutes later, they returned to announce they had chosen Burleson to act as interim mayor.

Grady produced a resolution for the council to consider. The resolution passed unanimously.

Burleson observed his selection with a brief address thanking the council, asking the citizens’ patience, and pledging his best efforts.

Nobody was there to swear him in, so Jackson breathed a sigh of relief and took over as interim mayor for the rest of the meeting.

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