Good afternoon and welcome everyone.

As the mayor pro tem, I will call this meeting to order and ask for introduction beginning with our city clerk.

Billy Tons, Deputy City Clerk.

Andrea Leslie Fight, City Attorney.

Good afternoon, Victoria Watlington.

I have the pleasure of serving you as a member at large.

Joy Mayo representing district three.

Kimberly Owens representing District 6.

Malcolm Graham, district two at Driggs, District 7.

Good afternoon, Lawana Mayfield, Councilmember at large.

Good afternoon, JD Masueta Adias District 5.

Renee Johnson, and I have the honor of serving District 4.

Thanks, everyone.

At this time, I will step away and allow the council to elect a chair pro tem.

Is there a motion to appoint a chair pro tem?

I will take it.

Council member may be motion to appoint Councilmember Graham.

Is there a second?

Second by Councilmember Wattlington.

All those in favor, let me know.

Okay.

I'm gonna turn it over now to Chair Pro Tim, Councilman Graham.

Good afternoon, everyone.

The interview form is part of the city council's process for filling the vacancy of the Office of the Mayor.

Each interview interviewer will be asked a series of questions by the city council, and each uh interview will also address city council and the public when responding.

No appointment decision will be made today.

The city council will consider the appointment of the next mayor pro mayor at a public future meeting on next week.

At this point, I would like to turn the meeting over to the city clerk and the city attorney where they will review the procedure for today.

Thank you, Chair Pro Tim Graham.

Um, by way of background, the ballots for nominations were provided to council members on Tuesday, June 16th, 2026 at 12 noon.

The ballot showing council members' nominations of up to three nominees were returned to the clerk's office.

Results were tallied, and based on the nominations, the top five nominees from all council members were contacted for interviews.

The top five nominees, I will read them at this time, and this is not in order of the top vote, but rather in alphabetical order.

They are as follows.

Harold Cogdell, Carrie Cook, Robert Robert Harringson, excuse me, James Mitchell Jr., and Senator Caleb Theodres.

At this time, each of the interviewees have been, uh their names have been placed into a cup.

And at the time of the interview, they will be called forward based upon random drawing by Madam Clerk, Mr.

Chair Pro Tem.

And so at this time, as you can see, there is a table placed at the center of the room.

Each interviewee will see will be seated there, and the council members will have an opportunity to ask questions.

You all will have an opportunity to select one question from the compilation of questions that you all came up with individually, and we just ask that you would stick with the same question for each interview.

Do not deviate, please, from that from that list of questions and simply stick with the same question with candidate one through five.

Okay.

Otherwise, I'll turn it back over to you, Mr.

Chair Pro Tim.

Any questions for the city attorney?

I recognize uh uh councilmember Wallington.

Thank you.

Just for clarity, the question that we picked does not have to necessarily be one we initiated.

That is correct, as long as you stick with the same question throughout the process.

Thank you.

Councilmember J D.

Thank you, Chair Pro Tem.

So just to clarify, out of all the lists here, it doesn't have to be the summary question, but it can be any of the questions.

Great question, Councilmember Masueta Adias.

Uh, the summary question was an overview or a compilation of the the themes of questions, but and each candidate received the the summary question.

They did not receive the individual questions, but you should choose from the individual questions listed below.

Thank you, madam attorney.

No further questions.

Any further questions for the city attorney or the city clerk?