Hughes and Macoll sworn in

Newly elected Pullman City Councilors Fritz Hughes and Eileen Macoll were officially sworn into office Wednesday.

With Tuesday's certification of election results, the two have been sworn in ahead of two others, Jeff Hawbaker and Al Sorensen, since Hughes and Macoll were voted into positions that were previously held by appointed members of the council.

Hughes was appointed to the council in February of last year to fill a vacancy left by Barney Waldrop, and retained the Ward 2 seat with 81 percent of the vote in the election earlier this month.

"It was very low key, just myself and Bill Mulholland. But it feels good that it's official now and I'm secure in the seat for the next four years," Hughes said Wednesday after he took his oath.

Macoll won her bid for the At-Large seat on the council in the most contested race in the city with 61 percent of the vote. She is taking over the position held by Derrick Skaug, appointed to fill a vacant position in May of 2012. Skaug chose not to run to retain his seat and has not been in attendance at council meetings since he was taken into protective custody by police in October.

Having never sat on the City Council before, Macoll took a little more time to enjoy the ceremony, with her husband, Joel Anderson, and her "campaign buddy," Larry Wendel, as well as a few others who helped out during her campaign, in attendance.

"I can tell you that from election night until today my face hurts from smiling, and I've got an ever-growing list of things in my back pocket that I've talked to people about. So I'm very excited about getting started," she said.

They were each sworn in separately Wednesday morning in City Hall by Pullman Clerk and Finance Director Bill Mulholland,

City Attorney Laura McAloon said the two were sworn in ahead of Hawbaker and Sorensen because an official chosen by voters must, according to state law, take precedence over a person chosen by a City Council.

"Hughes and Skaug were appointed to fill unexpired terms, so those positions have to be sworn in as soon as the election results are final," McAloon said.

Sorensen, who won the Ward 1 seat with 69 percent of the vote, and Hawbaker, who ran unopposed to retain the Ward 3 seat, will have to wait a few more weeks before it's their turn.

While no official date has yet been set, McAloon said councilors have, in recent years, taken their oaths of office on New Year's Eve so they can be in office prior to the first City Council meeting of the new year.

Bill McKee can be reached at (208) 883-4627, or by email to wmckee@dnews.com.