Vicki Sawney Chosen as Sallisaw Ward 4 Commissioner

Vicki Sawney was chosen as the new Ward 4 city commissioner at the commission meeting Monday evening. As allowed for by the city charter, Sawney was chosen by her fellow commissioners by a vote of 3 to 1. Mayor Julie Ferguson voted against choosing Sawney after she nominated former Mayor George Glenn to fill the post. Sawney takes the place of Ferguson who gave up the Ward 4 post when elected mayor. Ironically, Sawney's husband, John, and Ferguson's late husband, Wayne, also held the Ward 4 commission post in the past. Robert Morse of Sallisaw also declared his interest in the post during the meeting, but the commissioners preferred Sawney. Voting in her favor were Ronnie Lowe, Ward 1 commissioner; Ro Poindexter, Ward 2 commissioner; and Julian Mediola, Ward 3 commissioner. The Ward 4 post will be up for election in 2015, and those seeking the post must file in December of this year. Sawney formerly served as the Sequoyah County clerk. At the same city  meeting the commissioners also awarded a bid to Goodwin and Goodwin Inc. of Fort Smith, Ark., for the relocation of a waterline along Interstate 40 and Highway 64, at a cost of $77,655. City Manager Bill Baker said the state will reimburse the city for the work. The commissioners also voted to condemn as a nuisance the old church building at 319 W. Choctaw as a hazard to the public, and to seek bids to have it demolished. It was noted that several parties had looked at the building as a renovation project, but determined that the cost was too high to save the structure. Stay tuned to KXMX for the latest news or log on to www.kxmx.com. By Sally Maxwell, Senior News Director