HOT SPRINGS -- The vacant mayor's seat was filled Wednesday morning by the Hot Springs Board of Directors, but by the afternoon another board position had become vacant.
Hours after Division 3 Circuit Judge Lynn Williams swore in Pat McCabe to serve the remainder of Ruth Carney's second term as mayor, District 5 City Director Rick Ramick resigned. Ramick gave up his position after receiving a bomb threat Friday at his real estate office. His term runs through the end of next year.
"Lives have been threatened, and I am not willing to subject my agents and family to this criminal activity," Ramick's letter to the board said. "My resignation will be effective at midnight, May 3. It has been an honor and pleasure serving with you."
Ramick said Friday that he thought the bomb threat was linked to protests calling for his resignation. He's been under pressure to resign since August because of questions about his residency qualification.
Concerned Citizens Coalition, consisting of activists who have protested against Ramick, issued a statement Saturday condemning the bomb threat and affirming its commitment to peaceful protest.
McCabe's appointment was unanimous. The board deliberated about 30 minutes Tuesday night after interviewing the candidates during an executive session that convened earlier that evening. The vote wasn't by secret ballot, which is the protocol for filling board vacancies as prescribed by the city code. Instead, the board discussed the candidates' qualifications until they reached a consensus.
McCabe will serve through the end of next year. Carney resigned March 10 after concerns were raised about her residency qualification. McCabe lost the 2014 mayoral race to Carney, coming within 40 votes of unseating the incumbent after he paid for a recount of 254 absentee ballots.
City Directors Becca Clark and Larry Williams said McCabe's polling of more than 40 percent of the vote in the previous mayoral race shows that he has the support of the electorate.
"The fact that in an election he only lost by 40 votes, I'm quite confident the people of Hot Springs also see what a good candidate he is," said Clark, who served as acting mayor after Carney's resignation.
Williams said McCabe's decade of experience serving as a director was a deciding factor for him. McCabe, CEO of Levi Hospital since 1987, first served on the board in 1989 and subsequently served several nonconsecutive terms over the next 25 years.
"We had four very good candidates, but in the end what it came down to for me was that Pat had 10 and half years of experience on the board," Williams said.
McCabe said he believes the board selected him on the basis of his record as a director. His tenure overlapped with some of the current board members.
"The directors were aware of how I voted and what my position was on certain things," he said. "They understand how I process information and come to conclusions."
Former board member Karen Garcia, retired dentist Jack Porter and Whittington Valley Neighborhood Association President Mark Toth also applied for the mayoral post.
McCabe will be eligible to run for the 2019-22 mayoral term. It's an unpaid position that votes on all matters that come before the board. The mayor presides over board meetings and establishes the agenda. The mayor is also recognized as the head of government for all ceremonial purposes.
State Desk on 04/27/2017