Council appoints Kuhl to mayoral seat

The North Liberty City Council on Tuesday promoted Gerry Kuhl to mayor.

Kuhl had been the city's mayor pro tem and served as acting mayor following the death of Mayor Tom Salm in May.

'The late Mayor Salm would want us to continue with the plans he carefully laid out for us,” Kuhl said after the appointment. 'Let's get to work. Let's do what we were asked to do. I look forward to working with you.”

The council unanimously agreed to fill the mayoral seat through appointment at its previous meetings, citing the excessive costs of a special election. No candidates were submitted by the public before Tuesday's meeting, so the council unanimously appointed Kuhl to the position.

Kuhl was sworn in by City Clerk Tracey Mulcahey immediately after the vote.

'It's kind of bittersweet to be standing before you and taking an oath of office,” Kuhl said. 'I miss Tom greatly but I think he would want us to move on with the items he asked us to do.”

North Liberty residents have 14 days to petition the city clerk for a special election following Kuhl's appointment. The petition needs at least 26 valid signatures.

Kuhl will serve the remainder of late mayor Salm's term until the next general election in 2015. However, if Iowa City puts the local-option sales tax on the ballot, Kuhl will run for re-election in November.

The appointment to the mayoral seat means Kuhl's seat as a voting city council member is open. The council plans to discuss appointing someone to that seat during its next meeting and fill the position within 40 days.

Kuhl also will begin the process of appointing a new mayor pro tem by the next council meeting on July 8. The council is not required to approve the appointment.

'I thank all the council members and the citizens. I will work with the council as a team as we have done for the last six years. All of us are servants of the people, something we must never forget,” Kuhl said. 'If it's about anything, it's about the city of North Liberty.”