Nampa council appoints Darl Bruner as mayor after three failed nominations

At a city council meeting in Nampa, Idaho, the City Council appointed Darl Bruner to the office of mayor after two earlier nominations failed to obtain a majority vote. The council scheduled Bruner’s swearing-in for a noticed special meeting on June 15 at 4:00 p.m., with the regular meeting to follow at 5:00 p.m.

The council considered three nominees in succession. A motion to appoint Debbie Clling failed on a roll-call vote (Scog: no; Jenula: yes; Rodriguez: no; Griffin: no; Reynolds: yes; Bills: no). The council then moved to nominate Clay Long; supporters praised Clay’s operational experience and continuity, while others said the mayoral role should be public-facing. That motion also failed after roll-call voting.

After the failed votes, the council president put forward Darl Bruner’s nomination. Council members emphasized Bruner’s prior elected experience and community engagement. The council recorded a majority in favor of Bruner, and the president announced the appointment and the plan to hold a special meeting June 15 to finalize a swearing-in and to revisit chief-of-staff responsibilities.

Council members framed much of the debate around continuity and operational leadership. Council President Bills said the choice was not intended as a rebuke of any candidate, stating, “this vote is not a vote of no confidence. It’s a vote of extreme confidence that whatever ends up happening, Nampa will prevail.” Councilman Reynolds and Councilwoman Jenula both spoke in favor of Clay Long’s qualifications—Reynolds noted past city accomplishments under prior mayoral leadership, including a large wastewater treatment project that he said was completed on time and under budget.

The council’s procedural record shows the council followed a sequence of motions, seconds and roll-call votes for each nomination. The body also scheduled a special meeting on June 15 at 4:00 p.m. to take up postponed agenda items and to perform the swearing-in.

The meeting concluded after members offered public thanks to Council President Bills for his leadership during a difficult period and then adjourned.