Yakima City Council To Be Finalized in January

City council elections may have been more than a month ago, but the council still has two major decisions in the new year to determine its makeup.

The Yakima Herald is reporting that the council will vote on a new mayor in January.

Micah Cawley is completing his second term as mayor, a largely ceremonial position, and is seeking a third. According to the Herald, the only other interested council person is Kathy Coffey.

The role of mayor does not have more power than the other council positions, other than running the council meetings, but does have some emergency responsibilities that could be activated in a crisis. They also receive slightly more compensation than other council members and according to the city charter, the mayor is recognized as the head of the city for ceremonial purposes.

The decision is expected to take place on Jan. 7 when the council meets for the first time in the new year.

The Yakima City Council will also look to appoint a replacement for the seat vacated by Sara Bristol. Applications are due by Dec. 31 and applicants must be from District 2.

For more information on the open position, visit the city's website.