Breckenridge City Commission agrees in split vote to appoint Rob Durham to position vacated by Gary Mercer

November 06

12:51 2024

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By Carla McKeown/Breckenridge Texan

Following a closed-door session Tuesday night, Nov. 5, the Breckenridge City Commission agreed in a split vote to appoint former commissioner Rob Durham to replace Gary Mercer, who officially resigned from his Place 4 commissioner position. Commissioners Vince Moore and Blake Hamilton, along with Mayor Bob Sims, voted to appoint Durham to a term that will expire in May 2025. Commissioner Greg Akers voted against the appointment.

Durham was a city commissioner from 2016 until earlier this year, when Akers defeated him by eight votes in the municipal election. In that election, Akers garnered 99 votes (56 in early voting and 43 on election day), and Durham, who was the incumbent, received 91 votes (63 in early voting and 28 on election day).

In the June 2024 city commission meeting, the City honored Durham for his service, presenting him with a plaque and a proclamation. At that same meeting, Akers was sworn in as a new commissioner.

Greg Akers was sworn in as the Place 2 Breckenridge City Commissioner at the June 4, 2024, meeting. (Photo by Tony Pilkington/Breckenridge Texan)

Akers had previously served on the city commission, from May 2022 to August 2022. He ran unopposed for the Place 1 city commissioner position that year. Because all of the races were unopposed, the city was allowed to cancel the election, and all of the candidates — Akers for Place 1, Durham for Place 2 and Bob Sims for Mayor — were considered automatically elected, as allowed by state law.

In August 2022, Akers verbally resigned during the closed-door executive session of a special called meeting where the commissioners were discussing the finalists for the city manager position. After Akers left the meeting, the remaining commissioners voted to hire current City Manager Cynthia Northrop. Akers officially submitted a letter of resignation by email the next evening. The next month, the commissioners voted to appoint Hamilton to Akers’ vacated position.

Akers said that he resigned after realizing that there were irreconcilable differences between him and some of the other commissioners.

When Durham is sworn in, the current city commission will include Blake Hamilton, Place 1; Greg Akers, Place 2; Vince Moore, Place 3; Rob Durham, Place 4; and Bob Sims, Mayor.

According to his letter of resignation, Mercer resigned because with the sale of his house, effective Oct. 31, he no longer lives in the city of Breckenridge. That makes him ineligible to serve as a city commissioner.

“It has been a pleasure working with all of you with the goal of bettering this city we call home,” Mercer said in the letter. “It was my goal when I started this chapter to at least leave Breckenridge better than when I started, and I believe this council, along with the city manager and city secretary, we have. I am positive that with the leadership I have helped put into place that this will continue long after I am gone. With all this council has put into place; the city is a good place to ‘B.’ Again, thank you all and good luck.”

Cutline, top photo: Rob Durham, center, speaks at a special Breckenridge City Commission meeting on Feb. 22, 2024, held to discuss the possibility of combining the Breckenridge Police Department and the Stephens County Sheriff’s Office. During the meeting, the commission voted unanimously to keep the two law enforcement agencies separate. (Photo by Tony Pilkington/Breckenridge Texan)