Texarkana resident Betty Williams was appointed to fill the Ward 3 council vacancy at Monday night's regular meeting of the Texarkana, Texas, City Council.
The council met in closed session for about 30 minutes to discuss filling the vacancy created when council member Tina Veal-Gooch resigned from her position.
Veal-Gooch represented Ward 3 since 2009 and resigned on December 12, 2016.
Council members and Mayor Bob Bruggeman voted unanimously to appoint Williams. She was immediately sworn in after the vote and took her seat with the council.
"There is no such thing as a honeymoon," Bruggeman laughed as Williams joined the rest of the council.
"I'm glad to be here," Williams said."I have a long and varied record of public service as well as a demonstrated commitment to our shared community. I would welcome the opportunity to further my public service efforts in this new capacity, thus fulfilling my philosophy of "being the change I want to see," Williams said in a letter to the council.
Her term will end in November.
The city had received three applications from qualified residents: Jason Montoya, Johnny Riley, and Williams. But Riley recently requested that his name be removed from consideration.
In other business, the council heard a first briefing from Carol Collins-Miles, director of the Scott Joplin Support Group, on designating the portion of West Third Street, from Oak Street to Main Street, as "Scott Joplin Way" to coincide with 2017 planned celebrations honoring Joplin.
Joplin, the legendary ragtime musician, grew up in Texarkana. He later moved to Sedalia, Mo., and died in 1917.
Collins-Miles said Sedalia will also be honoring Joplin on the anniversary of his death.
"We are the home of Scott Joplin. We should lead on this," she said.