Houghton’s City Council unanimously chose Councilor Robert “Bubba” Megowen to succeed former Mayor Bob Backon.
Megowen, a longtime council member, was selected for the mayor’s role by his fellow councilors. Councilor Craig Waddell, who nominated Megowen, praised his colleague’s experience and leadership.
“One person who’s on the council could pull everyone together,” Waddell said. “We’ve had a lot of factionism recently. We don’t need that. We need to work together as a city. He’s a valued leader with the Carnegie Museum, Simple Kindness for Youth. He owns his own business here in town. He’s been on the council for a long time. In my opinion, he’s the closest person to Bob Backon we have.”
Megowen owns the Douglas House in Houghton and recently retired from the Houghton City Fire Department after 40 years of service. He is also an active member of the group Simple Kindness for Youth.
The city will need to appoint a new council member to serve the remainder of Backon’s term. If that person wishes to stay on the council, they will need to run for election in November.
Houghton expects to appoint the new member at its March 25 meeting. The city will accept applications from interested residents until March 18.
