FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Morgantown City Council Appoints First Ward Councilor

MORGANTOWN, W.Va. - At a July 27 special meeting, Morgantown City Council appointed M. Joe Abu-Ghannam to fill its First Ward city council seat.

Abu-Ghannam, a teacher at Morgantown High School, was selected from five qualified applicants. City Council took applications to fill the vacancy from July 8 to July 16. Council interviewed five qualified applicants in televised public meetings on July 20.  

The vacancy comes after recently elected First Ward City Council Candidate Patrick Hathaway notified the City Clerk on May 12 that he would not be able to fulfill his upcoming term, which began on July 1. The City Charter, Section 2.06(c), requires City Council to appoint a replacement to serve the remainder of his term within 30 days, or a special election will be held. Abu-Ghannam will serve the remainder of the term which expires June 30, 2023.

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