Centralia has a new councilman.
Blake Griffin was recommended by Mayor Bryan Kuder and unanimously approved by the city council Monday night. He was immediately sworn in and took his seat on the council. Griffin is replacing David Sauer who resigned earlier this month. Griffin will serve until after the April 2023 municipal elections.
“I come in really with no pre conceived notion on anything. No agenda items whatsoever. When I was asked by Mayor Kuder I thought and prayed long and hard about it. I got my family’s blessing. I’m excited to get started and help out anyway I can. This is a great group of individuals up there. I don’t know how much of my help they will really need, they pretty much got it figured out. But I’m going to do the best I can and add where I can but right now I have a lot of listening and learning to do.”
Griffin will have to give up his seat on the Centralia City Grade School Board that he has held for 18 years to take the council seat.
“It’s bittersweet. I’m looking forward to the new challenge but I’m going to miss it. From the employees to the kids, both of my kids graduated from the City Schools and I’m extremely proud of what they do.”
Griffin praised the Superintendent, School Board President to the rest of the board and staff for doing a great job.
City Clerk Kim Enke reminded the council the deadline for applications for city manager is June 30th. So far there are 13 candidates.
Mayor Bryan Kuder earlier stated he would like to have a new city manager selected sometime in July before Forrest Langenfeld’s contract expires in early August. Kuder hopes Langenfeld can spend some time breaking in the new city manager.
