Surprise officials expect a recently elected City Council member to take office early after the vice mayor abruptly resigned in September.
Jim Hayden will be sworn in during Tuesday’s council meeting. Hayden defeated Jim Biundo in the August election, but he wasn’t supposed to take office until January.
Biundo served as vice mayor, but had clashed with Mayor Sharon Wolcott after she publicly endorsed Hayden.
Citing his lame-duck status, Biundo quit shortly after the election.
The city took applications to fill Biundo’s council seat through December. Hayden became the lone applicant when the other contender withdrew during the process, according city officials.
Hayden, who did not respond to an interview request submitted via his campaign’s Facebook account, is a retired firefighter and U.S. Air Force veteran. He’ll replace Biundo for about 75 days and start a four-year term in 2017.
