May 17, 2024 |
Photo – Sign in Hanna – Bigfoot99 file photo
The Town of Hanna went through an abrupt change of leadership this week.
Mayor John Ostling resigned abruptly from the Hanna Town Council. Councilman Jayson Nordquist was voted to serve as mayor pro-tem, leaving the community short one council member.
Ostling was not present at Wednesday night’s Hanna town council regular session. Roughly 20 minutes into the meeting, Town Clerk Vivian Gonzales announced that Ostling, a first-term mayor had resigned. In a brief letter announcing his decision, Ostling cited health concerns as his reason for stepping away from the job.
The council voted to approve Ostling’s departure from the elected position.
Mayor Pro-Tem Nordquist asked for a nominee to take the mayor’s seat. Councilman Roger Hawks motioned for Nordquist to act as mayor until the end of the year, when a new mayor will be elected.
Councilman Sam Sikes seconded the motion, which then carried.
With the vote, Nordquist officially became the mayor of Hanna. As mayor, Nordquist must vacate his seat on the council. Clerk Gonzales instructed anyone interested in serving the remainder of Nordquist’s term to submit letters of interest before the next town council meeting. The town clerk said a new council member will be chosen at that time.
Ostling’s resignation means that a new mayor must be elected this November. Along with the mayor, the town has two open council seats available. Candidate filing began yesterday.
Clerk Gonzales told anyone interested in running for one of the three open positions to submit their candidate application before 5:00 pm on May 31st.
Clerk Gonzales asked that all letters of interest for Mayor Nordquist’s former council seat be submitted to town hall before Friday, June 7th.
A new Hanna town council member will be appointed during the following meeting on Tuesday, June 11th.
