Melrose City Council searches for member to fill vacant position

Melrose City Council members will decide at 6 p.m. Thursday whether to fill a vacant position with a local business owner or a man who serves in Curry County administration.

Mike Jacobs, 41, owner of a well and electrical business in Melrose, and Lance Pyle, 23, executive assistant to Curry County Manager Geneva Cooper, are vying for the seat.

The winner will fill the seat of former council member Hoyt Clifton, who resigned this spring after the death of his wife and his relocation to Santa Fe, according to Melrose Mayor Ray Hester.

Jacobs, who previously served a single four-year term on the council before deciding not to run for re-election, said his knowledge of the community is a big reason council members should select him.

“I’d just like to go back and help the city like I did before,” Jacobs said. “I have a business in Melrose and I’d like to see Melrose prosper.”

Pyle, the son of the Melrose police chief, moved to Clovis nine years ago and said his experience in county government would be an asset to the city.

“I am pretty familiar with our legislators from local to state levels,” Pyle said. “I know these people on a first-name basis and I hope that will help in bringing capital funds to Melrose.”

Hester said whoever wins the post will face challenges.

“I’ve been mayor about 10 years and we’ve got all the streets in town paved and a lot of new water line and new sewer line. We’ve made quite a bit of changes here in the last 10 years,” Hester said.