I learned from friends that when Vice Mayor Kathleen Nicola passed away from a boating accident in 2005, the Conservative mayor Wally Nichols ignored politics and appointed councilmember-elect Ginny Dickey to fill her remaining time. I verified this via an online article from the archived Fountain Hills Times.
Just like Gayle Earle, Ginny Dickey had received enough votes in the primary to be elected without running in the general election.
I spoke in the call to public at the Sept. 4 Town Council meeting to thank Councilmember Grzybowski for her service and ask that Mayor Dickey remember this precedent and choose councilmember-elect Gayle Earle to fill Councilmember Sharron Grzybowski’s seat.
But when Councilmember Skillicorn brought this to the Town Council meeting on Sept. 13, Mayor Dickey voted against, along with Councilmembers Peggy McMahon and Brenda Kalivianakis.
There are only three meetings left before Ms. Earle joins the council, so this won’t make a huge policy difference. But it was a lost opportunity for all three to demonstrate civility. I’m especially sorry for Mayor Dickey, who missed this opportunity to pass it forward. She will have to live with that decision for the rest of her life.