It looks like Marco Sommerville might be holding that sign after all.
An Akron City Council committee is recommending that Margo Sommerville replace her father, Marco, in the Ward 3 seat.
The committee will give its suggestion to the council Monday and the full council will then vote. If approved, Margo Sommerville will take the oath of office and assume her seat on the council. She plans to run to try to hold on to the seat this year.
She was among nine candidates that a council committee interviewed to fulfill the remaining year of Marco Sommerville’s term. He resigned effective Jan. 1 to become planning director.
If his daughter is chosen, Marco Sommerville had pledged to hold a sign that said, “Vote for My Daughter,” just as she had carried a sign for him when she was a young girl that read, “Vote for My Daddy.”
“I will — that’s right,” said the elder Sommerville.
Councilman Ken Jones, who chaired the council committee, said Margo Sommerville was the strongest of several qualified candidates. She has taken over her father’s funeral home, has a master’s degree in public administration and is involved in the community.
“She, ultimately, to me and to the committee was the best person to tackle Ward 3,” Jones said. “That’s what we were looking at.”
Jones is expecting some backlash because the committee chose Margo.
“To me, that is unfair,” he said. “Margo has an excellent resume. Without her name, she would have been in our Top 3.”
Andrae Long, one of the candidates who wasn’t chosen, said he thought the other applicants didn’t have a shot. He said he heard beforehand that Margo had been promised the position and was already celebrating, though he was assured the process was legitimate.
Long and several of the candidates have said they will run for the seat this year, when all 10 ward and the three at-large seats are on the ballot.
Margo Sommerville, 32, was out of town Friday and couldn’t be reached for comment.
Council members make $33,010 a year.
The council committee members were Jones, Mike Freeman, Russel Neal Jr., Bob Hoch and Jeff Fusco. They interviewed the candidates over two days, concluding Thursday night, and deliberated their choice for several hours, Jones said.
“It was very difficult,” he said.
Stephanie Warsmith can be reached at 330-996-3705 or swarsmith@thebeaconjournal.com. Follow on Twitter: @swarsmith.