The Libby City Council has appointed Brent Teske as the community’s new mayor.
Teske was appointed to the community’s highest elected position during a special meeting on Sept. 28. The council also appointed Kristin Smith, owner of the Cabinet Mountain Brewery, to fill a vacant seat on the city council.
Teske’s appointment came less than a month after his predecessor, Doug Roll, announced he was resigning after 13 years in Libby city government. Roll frequently butted heads with other council members and was the subject of a failed recall effort earlier this year. Although a court shot down the recall effort, Roll decided last month that the political environment in Libby had become too polarizing for him to continue.
Upon Roll’s resignation, council president Teske became interim mayor. Teske was first elected to the city council in 2013 and has held numerous roles on boards around town.
Smith was appointed to fill a seat made vacant when former councilor Barb Desch decided to step down last month. Desch told the Beacon that she could no longer dedicate time to serving in city government now that she is retired.
The Libby City Council is now accepting applications to fill Teske’s old seat.