Antioch council votes for new city clerk after Rhodes resignation in July

"In August, the Antioch City Council decided to appoint a replacement for Rhodes instead of holding a special election. Officials said it was a more cost-effective solution. According to the city, it would have cost as much as $1 million had a standalone special election been held prior to November 2026. The city received five applications for the open position, including interest from former Antioch Councilmember Lori Ogorchock."

"Part of the job, said Mandy, is to be transparent, keeping the public informed of city meetings, maintaining accurate records, and helping to manage public meetings and elections in a fair and impartial manner. "The posture of impartiality is particularly important in these times when citizens from all backgrounds worry that they're not being represented fairly," said Mandy. "It is important that each person who lives in Antioch knows that the city clerk and all the members of the council represent all of them equally.""

"He began performing his duties as city clerk during the regular meeting. "Thank you very much. I hope to make you proud of your selection. I appreciate it very much," said Mandy, who has lived in Antioch since 1994, during his swearing-in session. "This is very emotional.""

Michael Mandy was appointed Antioch city clerk after Melissa Rhodes' resignation and began performing duties immediately. The council chose appointment over a special election to avoid an estimated $1 million standalone cost and selected Mandy from five applicants. Mandy has lived in Antioch since 1994, previously managed a family insurance business, and worked for AT&T since 2013. Mandy framed the city clerk role as a connector between residents and government, emphasizing transparency, accurate records, fair management of public meetings and elections, and an impartial posture to ensure equal representation. The council vote was 4-1.

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