Maumee Councilman Chelsea Ziss was elected president of council at a special meeting Wednesday morning.

On Monday she will ascend to the mayor’s office upon the retirement of Mayor James MacDonald.

The surprising turn of events followed Mr. MacDonald’s announcement on Sunday that he intended to resign effective Dec. 1. Then-city council President Gabe Barrow was expected to become mayor, per Maumee’s rules of mayoral succession.

But at Wednesday morning’s council meeting, Mr. Barrow resigned as council president. He will, however, keep his seat as a councilman. Council then voted Ms. Ziss in as its president.

Ms. Ziss was appointed to council in August to fill the seat left vacant by the resignation of former councilman Scott Noonan.

According to the city of Maumee’s charter, if the

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