Hoxie, Arkansas – The Hoxie City Council is moving to restore its leadership after two recent resignations, selecting a sitting councilman to become the city’s new mayor and choosing a potential replacement for his council seat.
During a special meeting Thursday, council members selected Steve Ditto to take over as mayor after Tim Taylor abruptly resigned from the position. Ditto is scheduled to be sworn in Friday morning, giving the city a new leader just days after the unexpected departure.
The council also chose Tyler Combs to fill the council seat that Ditto will leave behind. However, Combs’ appointment is not yet final because city officials are seeking legal advice about the proper procedure for filling the position.
Officials said they are consulting with an attorney to determine whether the council can appoint Combs directly or whether the city must first advertise the opening and give outside candidates an opportunity to apply.
The council has already confirmed that the other vacant council position will be publicly advertised. That process is expected to allow interested candidates to seek the remaining seat.
The leadership changes followed a council meeting Tuesday night in which a resident brought documents raising concerns about travel expenses involving former city leaders.
According to the information presented, Hoxie’s city ordinance places limits on certain expenses incurred during official travel. Lodging costs are capped at $107 per day, while daily food allowances are limited to less than $60.
Questions were raised after documents were presented at the meeting. K8 News reviewed one Airbnb receipt billed to the city that showed more than $1,000 for a three-night stay.
The issue was followed by the resignations of Taylor and Decker. Both stepped down just hours after Tuesday night’s meeting, creating vacancies that the council needed to address.
Rather than leaving the mayor’s position open, council members turned to Ditto, who was already serving on the city council. His selection means he will move from the council to the mayor’s office, with his swearing-in scheduled for Friday morning.
That decision immediately created another council vacancy. Members selected Combs as the person they would like to place in Ditto’s former seat, but the city is checking whether that can legally happen without first opening the position to other applicants.
The legal review is now an important part of the transition. City officials want to determine whether the appointment can proceed as planned or whether the council must advertise the position before making a final selection.
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At the same time, the council is preparing to publicly advertise the other open seat.
The changes leave Hoxie with a new mayor and a council that is working to fill its vacant positions following a rapid series of events. The appointments made Thursday provide an initial response to the vacancies, while the city continues to address the legal questions surrounding the council seats.
Ditto’s expected swearing-in Friday will formally begin his time as mayor. The city’s next steps will include resolving the question surrounding Combs’ appointment and seeking candidates for the remaining council vacancy.
The developments come only days after concerns about municipal travel spending were raised publicly, followed by the resignations of Taylor and Decker. City officials are now working to complete the leadership transition and ensure the vacant positions are filled according to the applicable legal requirements.
