In their first meeting in the new year, the Newman City Council voted on who will serve as the mayor pro tem and other various committee roles last Tuesday.

Following an election cycle, a member of the city council is to serve the position for two years. The mayor pro tem serves as the mayor if the actual mayor is not able to attend a meeting. They also can serve as a liaison for the mayor and the council.

Council member Scott Ball, who first served as the mayor pro tem in 2022, was elected to remain in the position until January 2027. Ball was also elected to fill a vacant spot within the city council in January 2021.

Prior to Ball’s tenure, Nick Candea was the previous mayor pro tem.

“He is one of the senior guys on [the] council and he has done an excellent job at it (Mayor Pro Tem) since he was put in place,” said Mayor Casey Graham about Ball. “He’s done an outstanding job. Whenever I needed him, he’s filled in for me.”

During the meeting, other vacant committee positions such as a representative for Public Safety and Infrastructure were filled by individuals who were either previously involved in a committee or joined a specific committee for the first time.

The Stanislaus Council of Governments - a Metropolitan Planning Organization that addresses regional transportation issues within Stanislaus County - needed two individuals to represent the city of Newman. Mayor Graham, who previously served as the primary representative, will continue his role within the organization while council member Shane Tomlinson will serve as the alternative representative. Additionally, both will encompass the same role within the Stanislaus County/Cities Working Group, which focuses on cities within the county working together to resolve issues that affect the county.

Graham will continue his involvement with the Stanislaus County Local Agency Formation Commission City Selection and Stanislaus Mayor’s Committee.   

Tomlinson will be the primary representative for the League of California Cities Central Valley Division while council member Matthew Harden will replace former council member Laroy McDonald as the alternate representative. Both will also serve as the two primary representatives for School Liaison while Ball will serve as the alternative representative for the committee.

Ball and Tomlinson will be the primary and secondary representatives of the Infrastructure Committee. They will also be involved with the Public Safety Committee and the West Side Healthcare.

Additionally, Ball will serve as the primary representative while Tomlinson will be the alternative representative for the Countywide Disaster Council, a council board that focuses on making recommendations for local governing agencies on matters relevant to potential local emergencies such as disaster preparedness and response and recovery plans.

For the Economic Development Action Committee, council member Gisel Pimentel will be the primary representative while Ball will serve as the alternative representative for the committee.

Ball will be the primary representative while Pimentel will be the alternative representative for the Chamber of Commerce.

Both Pimentel and Harden will be the primary and alternate representatives for the West Side Theatre Liaison and San Joaquin Valley Air Pollution District.

Pimentel will also be involved in the Orestimba Scholarship Committee Association.

Public Works Director Thomas Spankowski and the department’s superintendent will be the city's primary and alternate representatives in the Solid Waste Local Task Force and the Regional Solid Waste Planning Agency.

Navtej Hundal is a freelance journalist in Stanislaus County