ARLINGTON — The City Council has been one person short since May 15, when longtime councilman Richard “Dick” Butner died.
After interviewing six candidates to take the vacant seat, the council voted 6-0 Monday to appoint Austin DeFreece III.
DeFreece has lived in Arlington for three years with his wife and two young sons. He works as an attorney for HTC, a company that produces cellphones and other electronic devices.
The 43-year-old saw a good opportunity to learn more about city government, he said. Butner’s term was supposed to end this year, after the November general election decided his replacement. DeFreece’s appointment is expected to last only a few months. He will hold the seat until election results are certified, likely in November.
“I have always wanted to get involved in local government,” DeFreece said. “But just with life and professional and personal obligations, it never seemed like the right time.”
This gives him a few months to learn about the inner workings of the city, serve the public as a councilman and decide if it’s something he wants to try to continue.
DeFreece doesn’t have a list of goals for the city, he said. He feels his strength is helping people negotiate and make tough decisions.
“I just really want to add value and help the council work through the issues in front of them,” he said. “I’m there to help represent the city on matters and listen to the competing issues and interests of different parties and help work through them.”
He has not filed to run for any public office following his appointed term, but would consider doing so in the future, he said.
The council plans to swear DeFreece in during its next meeting, 7 p.m. Monday in the council chambers at 110 E Third St.
Michael Hopson, Jacob Kukuk, Donald Vanney Jr., Philip Lane, Carson Tavenner and Joseph Coulter also applied for the spot and were interviewed by the council Monday. Hopson and Kukuk are running against each other in the November general election to claim the seat.
Butner had not filed for re-election. He was 80 and planned to retire after decades of public service, assistant city administrator Kristin Banfield said.
Butner was a councilman for 11 years and also served on the city’s Parks, Arts and Recreation Commission. He worked as an Arlington police officer for 22 years and retired as a sergeant in 1997.
Kari Bray: 425-339-3439; kbray@heraldnet.com.
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