Fairfield council appoints Mike Bailey to fill vacant seat

The Fairfield City Council on Jan. 14 appointed Mike Bailey to fill a vacant council seat and administered oaths of office to several municipal officers.

The council convened the meeting and opened a special call to fill the vacancy, saying it had received letters of intent from three applicants. The council gave each applicant time to speak and answer questions before taking a voice roll-call to select the replacement. After members announced their votes, the presiding official invited Mike Bailey to the dais to take the seat. The mayor said the appointee will serve the remainder of the term through 2027.

Why it matters: The appointment restores a full complement of council members for votes on budget, contracts and local policy. The council also assigned the appointee to the fairgrounds, facilities and parks portfolio, which includes coordination with the stock-show council and event planning.

What happened: Applicants addressed the council about their connections to the community and availability to serve. Diane Mills introduced herself and described experience managing budgets and organizing the stock-show beef department. Clayton (one of the applicants) outlined volunteer work with rodeo and community events. After the presentations the council conducted a voice roll call; Kelly Singleton announced she was voting for Mike Bailey and the mayor invited the appointee to join the council.

Other procedural steps: The meeting included several oaths of office. Jacqueline Wilde was sworn in as city treasurer and Trent Jackson took the mayoral oath on the record. The presiding official confirmed council assignments for committee and event responsibilities following the appointment.

Next steps: The appointee will serve through the term ending in 2027 and may run for election if he seeks to retain the seat at that time. Any committee assignments or changes will be reflected in future council agendas.

Note on names: The record lists letters of interest from "Mike Berrien," "Clayton Fox," and "Ryan Mills." The council's appointed member in the meeting transcript is recorded as Mike Bailey. The article reports both the letters the city said it received and the council's on-record appointment to avoid misattributing similarly spelled names.