Termed out of office just five months ago, former Granite Shoals councilor Steve Hougen is returning to the dais after being selected from five applicants to fill a vacant seat.

The city council appointed Hougen to Place 2 during a special meeting Oct. 8, filling the vacancy left by Mike Pfister’s resignation in September.

Hougen will serve in Place 2 until May 2027, when the seat is up for election. Munos said five council positions will be on the ballot that May.

Hougen previously served in Place 4, joining the council by appointment in May 2020 before winning elections in 2022 and 2024. He reached the city’s term limit in May 2026 and was succeeded by Mark Henshaw.

Under the city charter, Hougen is eligible to serve again because a city election has taken place since his previous term ended, creating a break in his service.

The council had five applicants to choose from, a level of interest Mayor Ron Munos said the city does not always see.

“It’s really nice to have this much representation and have choices because often we do not have that,” Munos said during the meeting.

Despite the field of applicants, the council selected Hougen through an anonymous voting process, with Don Merrill finishing second.

The applicants brought a range of professional and community experience:

• Chloe Rivera-Rothermel: A Granite Shoals resident since 1998 and owner of Little Mallows Cottage Shop.
• Don Merrill: Retired, with previous service on a homeowners association board and a church budget committee.
• Steve Hougen: Former chief of staff and president of Baylor Scott & White Medical Center-Marble Falls, retiring in 2019.
• Preston Williams: A Granite Shoals employee of more than 15 years who began in animal control and now serves as a code enforcement officer.
• Tami Vaughn: A former business owner who now works as a retail lead at Dollar General in Granite Shoals.

maci@thepicayune.com