Although city council must approve all appointments to the city’s two boards (P&Z, MDD), the determination as to which applicant will be nominated for approval is made by the mayor for P&Z openings and by the MDD president for vacancies on that board.

The process is subject to little-known Ordinance O-13-028, referenced in application forms but not posted in the online municipal code as of this writing. Signed into law on November 13, 2013 by then-mayor (and current P&Z chairman) Wes Stephens, it is structured so that the entire candidate review process and ultimate selection rests upon a single individual: the mayor or MDD president. It is not known whether in practice those two decision makers solicit input from sitting board members. (A copy of O-13-028 is shown below.)

Former mayor Wheeler probably understood the well established practice better than most when he swore in Stephen Seay to P&Z on May 12, 2021. Wheeler said to Seay (with a chuckle) “You know what ends up happening, is you usually end up being the mayor after that, right?”