Libby City Council fills vacant seat

The Libby City Council in a special meeting Tuesday appointed Angel Ford to fill the seat Allen Olson vacated in late April.

The only person to apply for the vacant seat, Ford received the support of all five council members.

Ford, who runs three businesses ­— Angel’s Variety Store at 112 4th St., Angels Mobile Notary and APS Security — moved to Libby from Seaside, Oregon in December 2016,

“I think maybe being new to the area and having a fresh look at things could be a plus,” she wrote in a letter of application to the City Council dated May 6.

In a phone interview Wednesday, noting that her term lasts only until November’s regular election, Ford said she’s already filled out the paperwork to run then for a full four-year term.

She said she doesn’t yet know what her platform will be.

“I need to see what all the different issues are in Libby,” she said.

Meanwhile, Ford was assigned Tuesday to three City Council committees — budget and finance, cemetery and parks, and fire — and will attend her first regular City Council meeting Monday June 5.

Libby Mayor Brent Teske, who first met Ford at Tuesday’s meeting, said she seemed well-organized and her previous experience on various boards and committees would serve her well as she settles into City Council processes and procedures.

“I think she’s going to do a great job,” he said.

In her application letter, Ford outlined a personal history of community service that includes volunteering for chambers of commerce in Oregon and Washington, serving as both a Girl Scouts and Cub Scouts leader, teaching CPR for the American Red Cross and being a substitute teacher. She wrote she holds a bachelor’s degree in law and justice from Central Washington University.