Kingsland Council Decides on Blair

KINGSLAND - For the second consecutive month, the Kingsland City Council selected someone to fill a vacancy on the fourmember council after it was discovered the previous appointee was ineligible to serve since she did not reside within the proper ward.Suny Blair was appointed to fill a vacancy for the Ward 1, Position 1 seat on the Kingsland City Council. She will complete the unexpired term of Sandra Laws, who resigned from the seat in May. Blair will hold the position through Dec. 31, 2026, and is eligible to run for the seat next year. During last month's city council meeting, council member Linda Burns nominated Samantha Johnson to fill the vacancy. Her nomination was unanimously approved by the other three city council members during the meeting. Johnson was sworn in immediately after her appointment by Cleveland County Judge Jimmy Cummings during the Kingsland City Council's June meeting.However, the city since learned that Johnson was ineligible to serve since her residence is in Ward 2 rather than Ward 1. The Kingsland City Council consists of two representatives from each of the city's two wards, Ward 1 and Ward 2.Burns apologized to the council for the oversight during last week's meeting, noting that she did not realize that Johnson was a resident of Ward 2. Johnson did show up before last week's city council meeting began, but left before it officially got underway.Mayor Karen Wiscaver declared that the seat was still vacant as the start of the meeting and, as she did during last month's meeting, nominated former mayor/city council member Sharon Crosby to fill the vacancy. Crosby was in attendance at the meeting.After Wiscaver once again nominated Crosby, Burns said she had received a call from someone who was willing "to step up" and fill the position. She then nominated Blair for the vacancy. Blair was also at the meeting.While the mayor can make a recommendation to fill a vacancy on the city council, the n...