Nampa City Council Special Meeting on Mayor Vacancy – April 15, 2026
Nampa City Council Special Meeting on Mayor Vacancy – April 15, 2026
The Nampa City Council convened a special meeting on April 15, 2026, to address the vacancy in the mayor's office following the passing of Mayor Rick Hogobaum. The meeting was limited to council discussion and deliberation; no public testimony was taken. Council members debated the appointment process and voted on two motions to fill the vacancy, both of which failed. The council then discussed next steps, including a potential application and interview process.
Discussion Items
- Council President opened the meeting, noting the meeting was not a public hearing and asking for respectful behavior. Roll call confirmed all six council members present: Scog, Jangula, Bills, Reynolds, Rodriguez, and Griffin.
- Councilman Griffin emphasized that the council has been prayerful and focused on unity and peace for the community.
- Councilman Reynolds stated he was not ready to vote, arguing for a thorough process including interviews. He highlighted the need for a proven, experienced leader and noted that 18 months remain until the next election; a new mayor and chief of staff would take considerable time to get up to speed.
- Councilwoman Jangula shared that she had consulted city directors and emphasized the importance of a smooth operational transition, given the city's 815 employees.
- Councilwoman Scogg reminded citizens that the decision rests solely with the council, urged more time and community input, and stressed the need for an open process.
- Council President expressed frustration with public pressure and derogatory remarks, then moved to appoint Debbie Kling as mayor, with specific dates for notice, oath, and assumption of duties (May 4, 2026).
- Councilwoman Jangula supported Kling, citing that Clay Long (Chief of Staff) could remain in his role, ensuring continuity praised by staff.
- Councilman Reynolds echoed support, noting Kling's residency and experience would avoid the delays of appointing Long.
- Vote on appointing Debbie Kling: Scog – No, Reynolds – Yes, Rodriguez – No, Griffin – No, Bills – No. Motion failed (1 yes, 4 no).
- Council President then moved to appoint Clay Long as mayor, conditioned on his becoming a qualified elector (resident) by June 5, 2026, with a potential start date of June 15, 2026.
- A council member (likely Scog or Griffin) expressed concern that the process felt rushed and that interviews were needed; they wanted to know who Long would appoint as chief of staff.
- Councilman Reynolds stated he could not support Long due to the optics of his living outside city limits.
- Another council member (Jangula or Bills) noted Long does not currently live in Nampa, making him ineligible in their view.
- Legal counsel clarified that the motion allowed time for Long to establish residency, and that residency was a required qualification.
- Vote on appointing Clay Long: Scog – No, Reynolds – No, Rodriguez – No, Griffin – Abstained (not permitted, ultimately not counted as a vote), Jangula – Yes, Bills – Yes. Motion failed (2 yes, 3 no, 1 abstention disregarded).
Key Outcomes
- Both motions to appoint a mayor (Debbie Kling and Clay Long) failed to pass.
- Legal counsel confirmed that the failed votes do not disqualify either candidate from future consideration under a different process (e.g., applications and interviews).
- The council's interim authority for the council president to perform executive functions expires approximately June 15, 2026, and can be extended if needed.
- Council members discussed next steps: Council President mentioned a draft application form had been submitted. Councilman Reynolds suggested hiring a neutral mediator to run the process. Another council member (likely Scog or Reynolds) proposed a timeline of three weeks for accepting applications, distributing them to council, reviewing, and holding interviews. Council President asked that suggestions be put in writing.
- The meeting was adjourned without a concrete plan for the next meeting, but it was acknowledged that additional work sessions would be necessary due to open meeting law requirements and the ongoing budget season.
Meeting Transcript
Really came down to it. I said I want to marry it just in my little time, but I focus on the extra stuff to the finish line. Because our fiction rate on the citation is like nothing. That money adds up. Once again, it goes back to the dollars. Well we've actually seen a different fourth finance and fee revenue duty yesterday looking at the legal budget function stuff. He says we're seeing a lower rate of money collection this point than we were last year. And I was gonna reach out the point. So automatically even without the witness, we can't take any of the written statements. Nothing. Nothing. I would think you could. That's just like okay, you're risking not having the live testimony. The judge will not hear without a witness to speak to the citation written by because you have to be able to have the connection of is this a fair and true yeah, establishing the foundation. That's right. There's no foundational basis without the signer and the citation and money. The incident. So I get it. NAMP is a few minutes. I think that's very next to the crazy reason. Testing one, two. I check one, two. Okay. So Dale's coming. And so morning. Thank you. Good morning. Uh this is a special meeting for Nampa City Council. It's been called on short notice and convened for the purpose of discussing the mayor vacancy and a possible appointment. Before we get started, I would like to acknowledge a couple of things and make sure that we understand. This is not a public hearing, this is a council meeting for council. There is no public testimony to be taken. So don't want to have confusion. There will not be public outbursts, cheers, clapping, booze. If there is, we'll ask you to leave the room. This is a time for council to deal with uh serious issues. And we want it to be in the public as that's a requirement. But we also ask for your cooperation this morning. I would also like to acknowledge a few things. You'll bear with me. There may be a moment of some emotional. It was difficult when we had to convene several weeks ago for a special meeting to carry forward. I think it's important to be acknowledging that our staff, our directors, their teams in the city of Napa have carried forward. While it's been difficult, and while there's been an adjustment, the operation of the city of Napa has continued forth. Offered help, continue to do their job, but also working to move the city of Napa forward with the same goals that were in place at the time of Rick's passing. The purpose of this meeting is for that discussion. As we have two counselors who need to be other places in a short while. So we will start with the option of excuse me. And we need to call roll call. Sure helps me stay on track.
openpublica.com