EVERETT — The City Council appointed Scott Murphy on Wednesday to the vacancy left by their freshly retired colleague, former City Councilman Arlan Hatloe.
Murphy, a city planning commissioner, heads up operations for the Everett-based glass company Goldfinch Bros. His appointment is to last until after this fall’s elections, when voters will choose someone to fill the council seat for a full four-year term. The appointee is allowed to run in that election.
“I truly look forward to working with you over the next 10 and a half months or whatever it ends up being,” Murphy told his new colleagues after he was sworn into office and seated.
Murphy also thanked the two other finalists for the appointment, nonprofit manager June Robinson and former Everett Mayor Pete Kinch.
In an initial round of voting, Murphy received support from three of six council members. He prevailed in a second round of voting, with the council favoring him 4-2 over Robinson.
Murphy, 50, has lived in Everett for 20 years. In his letter of interest for the appointment, he touted his business experience, volunteer work with nonprofit organizations and familiarity with city planning issues, including the zoning for the area around the former Kimberly-Clark mill that the City Council is scheduled to vote on next week.
“He’s taking that experience and bringing that to the council,” Councilman Shannon Affholter said before the vote.
The two council members who supported Robinson, Paul Roberts and Brenda Stonecipher, said all three finalists were well qualified. In Robinson’s favor, they cited her background in human services and her support from 47 percent of the voters in the 2012 city council election, when she lost to Scott Bader, the council’s newest member. Both council members later voted to endorse the majority decision to appoint Murphy.
Council President Jeff Moore said he agreed Robinson’s human services background would add breadth to the council, but that Murphy’s considerable experience in private business would as well. Murphy’s service on the planning commission and his address in the View Ridge neighborhood — outside the political center of gravity in North Everett— were other factors in Murphy’s favor, Moore said.
“It was a tough call,” he said.
This was the second appointment to the City Council in just over six months. In May, the City Council appointed businesswoman Gigi Burke to the late Councilman Drew Nielsen’s seat following his death in a rafting accident. Burke agreed not to compete in November’s election, which went to Bader.
The Everett City Council has seven seats.
The appointment filled council Position 3, left open after Hatloe’s retirement took effect at the end of 2012. Hatloe served 11 years on the council. His surprise resignation in November came with about a year remaining in his term.
The City Council spent December gathering resumes from applicants and winnowed an initial field of six candidates down to three. City council members interviewed finalists in open session during the council’s Dec. 27 meeting.
Noah Haglund: 425-339-3465, nhaglund@heraldnet.com.
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