The Gaithersburg City Council on Monday night selected Councilmember Jud Ashman to serve as the city’s next mayor.
It’s not official yet because the selection is contingent upon whether Mayor Sidney Katz is elected to represent District 3 on the Montgomery County Council, but that’s all but guaranteed because Katz is running unopposed.
“I am honored and grateful for the support of my colleagues on the council,” Ashman said in a statement. “I’m looking forward to serving all of Gaithersburg’s stakeholders in this new capacity.”
The city council elected Ashman to the position in a closed session vote. The Mayor is paid an annually salary of $20,000, according to the city’s charter.
Ashman has served as a city council member since 2007 and would serve as mayor until the next city election in 2015. Ashman is the president of the Gaithersburg-based graphic design firm Web Mobile Image LLC and the founder of the Gaithersburg Book Festival.
The city council is evaluating candidates to replace Ashman, including Joseph Allen, Richard Arkin, Bruce Goldensohn, Neil Harris, Yvette Monroe, Thomas Rowe, Laurie-Anne Sayles, Joshua Schuman, Juan Carlos Vaillao, William Gregory Wims and Robert Wu. The council plans to narrow the list to five Oct. 13 and select a new member during a Nov. 3 executive session, according to a city news release.
