McCabe named mayor; Ramick resigns
The vacant mayor’s seat on the Hot Springs Board of Directors was filled Wednesday morning, but by the afternoon another board position had come open.
Hours after Division 3 Circuit Judge Lynn Williams swore in Pat McCabe to serve the remainder of Ruth Carney’s second term as mayor, District 5 City Director Rick Ramick tendered his resignation following Friday’s bomb threat at his real estate office. His term runs through the end of next year.
“Lives have been threatened, and I am not willing to subject my agents and family to this criminal activity,” Ramick’s letter to the board said. “My resignation will be effective at midnight, May 3. It has been an honor and pleasure serving with you.”
Ramick said Friday that he thought the bomb threat was linked to protests calling for his resignation. He’s been under pressure to resign since August over questions about his residency qualification. The Concerned Citizens Coalition, the collection of activists behind the protests, issued a statement Saturday condemning the bomb threat and affirming its commitment to peaceful protest.
The statement also rebuked Ramick’s insinuation that the group was connected to the incident.
McCabe’s appointment was unanimous, with the board deliberating for about 30 minutes Tuesday night after interviewing the candidates during an executive session convened earlier that evening. The vote wasn’t by secret ballot, the protocol for filling board vacancies prescribed by the city code, but by the board discussing the candidates’ qualifications until a consensus was reached on a selection.
McCabe will serve through the end of next year. He replaces Carney, who resigned March
10 after concerns were raised about her residency qualification. McCabe lost the 2014 mayoral race to Carney, coming within 40 votes of unseating the incumbent after he paid for a recount of 254 absentee ballots.
City directors lauded the qualifications and abilities of all four candidates who vied for the appointment, but directors Becca Clark and Larry Williams said McCabe’s polling of more than 40 percent of the vote in the last mayoral race shows he has the support of the electorate.
“The fact that in an election, he only lost by
40 votes, I’m quite confident the people of Hot Springs also see what a good candidate he is,” said Clark, who served as acting mayor after Carney’s resignation.
Williams made the motion to adopt the resolution confirming McCabe’s appointment. He
succeeded McCabe as District 4 director after McCabe filed for mayor instead of re-election to his board seat in the 2014 election.
Williams said McCabe’s decade of experience serving as a director was a deciding factor for him. McCabe, the CEO of Levi Hospital since 1987, first served on the board in 1989 and subsequently served several nonconsecutive terms over the next 25 years.
“We had four very good candidates, but in the end what it came down to for me was that Pat had 10 and half years of experience on the board,” Williams said. “Karen Garcia had four years, and both she and Pat had gone to training at the Municipal League. Both were certified municipal officials.
“He and his wife are also investing in a downtown business, and the fact of the matter is that he was within 40 votes of being elected mayor.”
McCabe and his wife, Ellen, plan to open a nine-bedroom boutique hotel and restaurant in the Hale Bath House. McCabe said an engineering report is being developed on the plumbing, heating and electrical work needed for the conversion.
“We’ll be submitting (the report) to contractors to get solid bid numbers,” he said. “Once we got those numbers, we’ll evaluate them and pick a contractor. Then we’ll proceed with closing on the loan for the leasehold improvements.”
McCabe said almost ascending to the mayoral position through the ballot box didn’t entitle him to the appointment. He said he thinks the board selected him based on his record as a director. His tenure overlapped with some of the current board members.
“The directors were aware of how I voted and what my position was on certain things,” he said. “They understand how I process information and come to conclusions. I think that would’ve had an impact on their decision.
“There were three other very qualified candidates. I feel fortunate to serve out this term and work with the balance of the board to move the city forward.”
Along with McCabe and Garcia, retired dentist Dr. Jack Porter and Whittington Valley Neighborhood Association President Mark Toth also applied for the mayoral appointment.
McCabe is eligible to run for the 2019-2022 mayoral term. It’s an unpaid position that votes on all matters that come before the board. The mayor presides over board meetings and establishes the agenda. It’s also recognized as the head of government for all ceremonial purposes.
McCabe said he’ll make time to fulfill the numerous obligations that attend the position.
“They’ll be times I’ll be called on to cut a ribbon and welcome groups,” he said. “I have flexibility in my schedule to do that.”
McCabe said presiding over board meetings will be his biggest responsibility.
“I have to try and conduct an effective, efficient meeting that allows all parties to express themselves during the time frames established by the board,” he said. “I have to conduct a good meeting and make sure people have a chance to be heard.”