By BECKY KISER
Hays Post

The newest Hays city commissioner was sworn into office Thursday evening.

Sandy Jacobs was selected by the other commissioners from six candidates to fill the unexpired term of Eber Phelps. He is now serving as the 111th District State Representative.

City Clerk Brenda Kitchen issued the oath of office to Jacobs at the beginning of the city commission meeting.

The commission then reorganized, which is traditionally done each January. This year, however, there were no changes.

The reason, according to City Manager Toby Dougherty, is because of legislation adopted last year by the state which moves municipal elections to November.

“The city commission used to have their municipal elections in April and the new commission would take seats at the first regular meeting after the elections. The new commission will now take seat in January of 2018. There was a nine-month period, sort of a gap, that it created,” Dougherty explained.

“The city commission decided at that time that Mayor Phelps would fill half of the gap and then Mayor (Shaun) Musil would fill half of the gap.

“This reorganization, which would normally be Mayor Musil’s term, will put you back on schedule so that next year you guys will reorganize in January and everybody would move just like normal.”

As a result, commissioners voted to retain Shaun Musil as mayor and James Meier as vice-mayor.

The unexpired term Jacobs is filling will end in January 2018. She thanked her fellow commissioners “for the welcome” and said she “appreciates the confidence in the commission for putting me in this position.”