The Aberdeen City Council voted unanimously Monday to make Councilman Mike Hiob its next president, to the surprise of its last president, who said he expected to be reappointed.
Hiob, 47, replaces Ron Kupferman, who was named president last year. Hiob has been on the council for three years, while Kupferman has served on the council during various times since the 1970s.
“I was disappointed. I didn?t have any reason to believe that I wouldn?t be council president,” Kupferman said Wednesday. “But I?m a team player. I put Aberdeen ahead of all of that.”
Councilwoman Ruth Elliott also voted for Hiob in order to “foster council unity,” but said she took issue with the way it was decided that Hiob should succeed Kupferman.
“It looks like the votes were taken before Monday,” Elliott said, referring to an e-mail she received Saturday from Mayor S. Fred Simmons that said “it had beendecided that Hiob would be the next council president.”
Hiob said he had the votes needed to ascend to the position, and an e-mail was sent out, but he denied that Elliott was never consulted.
Hiob said he began feeling out other council members in mid-November, and Elliott seemed to be supportive. After a town hall meeting on annexation Nov. 28, that changed, he said, because he challenged Elliott on “the facts” of the annexation.
“I think she?s intentionally trying to stir the pot,” he said.
“I felt that Mike wanted the job and I figured, ?What the hell, let him have it,? ” Councilman David Yensan said.
Simmons said he supported Hiob because of his efforts as a council member.
“The last thing I want is any more controversy in the city,” he said.
Hiob said even though the position has no real authority, save serving as meeting leader in the mayor?s absence, he feels the job requires a consensus builder.
“I will not tell one person one thing, and then turn around and tell another person something else,” he said.
