Council Votes Talmas Woodinville Mayor, Aspen Deputy Mayor

Bernie Talmas retained his seat as Woodinville mayor, and newly reelected council member Liz Aspen was voted deputy mayor at Tuesday night’s meeting, neither vote was not unanimous.

Councilman Scott Hageman nominated Aspen for mayor; she lost when only she, Hageman and new councilmember Les Rubstello voted for her. Councilmembers Talmas, Susan Boundy-Sanders, Paaulette Bauman and Art Pregler vote in Talmas. Talmas remained mayor (he had been filling the post after former Mayor Chuck Price resigned, ) in a 4-3 vote.

Aspen, who has been on the council since 2008 and overwhelmingly won reelection in November (she ran unopposed, ), has often been nominated mayor but has never garnered enough support from her peers to take the largely ceremonial seat.

Woodinville’s mayor is elected by the city council and serves a two-year term. The mayor’s duties include presiding at council meetings and representing the city at various ceremonial functions and at community and intergovernmental meetings. The deputy mayor is also elected from within the city council and serves a two-year term. The deputy mayor presides over meetings during the absence of the mayor.