In a closed caucus on Oct. 2, the Hamilton County Republican Party voted to elect Victor McCarty to fill the Westfield City Council seat for District 3 vacated by the passing of longtime public servant Joe Edwards in September.
“I have had great respect for Joe as I see myself following in his footsteps,” McCarty wrote on his Facebook page. “It is a great honor to serve District 3 in his memory.”
McCarty is still running uncontested in the Nov. 7 general election for city councilor representing District 2. He is the only future councilor who lives within the District 3 lines as they were defined when Edwards was elected in 2019 and will serve the residents in District 3 through the end of the year.
In January, McCarty will move into the seat of city councilor for District 2 under updated district lines. Joe Duepner, who is also running uncontested in November, will take the council seat for District 3 at that time.
“Now, I will be able to listen and learn, and that’s my plan,” McCarty said.
In light of his new position, McCarty tendered his resignation effective immediately on the Westfield Advisory Plan Commission and the Board of Zoning Appeals.
“I tremendously appreciated my time on both the APC and the BZA,” McCarty said. “It helped me learn what I needed to in order to prepare myself for my role on city council.”
At the regularly scheduled APC meeting that was held within an hour of McCarty’s resignation, council Vice President Ginny Kelleher expressed gratitude to McCarty for his service with the commission since he was appointed by Mayor Andy Cook in 2020. Other commissioners echoed her sentiments.
There is no word yet on whether either the APC or the BZA will ask Cook to appoint anyone to fill McCarty’s position until the end of the year.
