‘Yukon is some kind of wonderful’

Selby re-elected mayor for third year, Wootton new vice mayor; Zimmerman joins city council

May 5, 2022

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City Council Reorg1 — Yukon Municipal Judge Jennifer King is flanked by new Ward 1 City Council Member Rodney Zimmerman and Yukon Mayor Shelli Selby, the Ward 2 representative. King administered the oath of office to Zimmerman and Selby on May 3 inside the Centennial Building, 12 S 5th. (Photo by Conrad Dudderar)

By Conrad Dudderar
Staff Writer

Shelli Selby earned a third year as Yukon’s mayor this week as she officially began a second, four-year term on the city council.

Selby received the oath of office May 3 right after Rodney Zimmerman, who started his first term as Yukon’s Ward 1 representative.

Yukon Municipal Judge Jennifer King administered the oaths before Tuesday night’s city council meeting inside the Centennial Building, 12 S 5^th.

Selby has been reelected, without opposition, as Yukon’s Ward 2 representative on the five-member city council. She was first elected in a contested 2018 election.

In a city council vote, Selby was unanimously re-elected mayor at the start of the May 3^rd meeting.

Starting her third year as mayor, Selby said she appreciated the support of her fellow elected city officials.

“I am honored and thrilled to be chosen for mayor from my peers,” Selby said. “I look forward to a tremendous amount of work being done in the City with our ARPA (American Rescue Plan Act) funds being available.

“Yukon is some kind of wonderful.”

Also elected unanimously at Tuesday night’s meeting was Vice Mayor Jeff Wootton, the council’s at-large representative since 2019.

Wootton succeeds Rick Cacini as Yukon’s vice mayor.

Cacini stepped down from the city council after losing his bid for a second, four-year term in the Feb. 8^th Ward 1 council election.

Yukon Mayor Shelli Selby is sworn in by Yukon Municipal Judge Jennifer King after being elected (without opposition) to a second, four-year term as Ward 2 representative. The city council elected her mayor for a third year during its May 3rd meeting. (Photo by Conrad Dudderar)

New Ward 1 City Council Member Rodney Zimmerman receives the oath of office from Yukon Municipal Judge Jennifer King. Zimmerman, a Yukon Public Schools’ teacher and coach, defeated incumbent Rick Cacini to earn a four-year term on the five-member city council. (Photo by Conrad Dudderar)

City of Yukon officials pose for a photo before the May 3rd Yukon City Council meeting inside the Centennial Building, 12 S 5th: From left, City Clerk Doug Shivers, Ward 4 Council Member Aric Gilliland, Ward 1 Council Member Rodney Zimmerman, Mayor Shelli Selby (Ward 2), Vice Mayor Jeff Wootton (At-Large), Ward 3 Council Member Donna Yanda, City Manager Tammy Kretchmar, City Engineer Robbie Williams, City Attorney Roger Rinehart, and Municipal Judge Jennifer King. (Photo by Conrad Dudderar)

THANK YOU FOR SUPPORT

Zimmerman defeated Cacini, by a 197-126 vote margin, to earn the Ward 1 Yukon City Council post for the next four years.

“I want to thank everyone who supported me,” Zimmerman said. “And I want to thank former councilman Cacini for his service to the city and for his service to the country. We appreciate him.”

A retired U.S. Army and U.S. Air Force lieutenant colonel, Cacini is founder and curator of the Yukon Veterans Museum.

Zimmerman has taught 18-1/2 years in Yukon Public Schools and coaches girls’ track and cross country. He is a Yukon native and Yukon High School graduate.

Fellow city council members welcomed their newest member at Tuesday night’s meeting.

“I’m looking forward to working with you,” Wootton told Zimmerman. “This will be fun.”

City of Yukon voters elect the five city council representatives but not the mayor and vice mayor.

City council members select the mayor and vice mayor for the next year at the first council meeting each May.

Other Yukon City Council members are Donna Yanda, Ward 3; and Aric Gilliland, Ward 4.