Issaquah City Council named former Issaquah Press editor Stacy Goodman as the replacement for an empty council seat Monday.

Goodman was among nine candidates who the council interviewed last week for former council member Maureen McCarry’s position.

“I believe she is an independent thinker with a broad perspective,” said council member Butler of his decision.

The decision came after councilor Joshua Schaer broke a 3-3 split by switching sides.

Paul Winterstein, a 26-year resident who has worked with the Issaquah Meals Program, was the second pick, and ultimately recieved two votes.

Schaer’s decision was unusual, because he rarely changes his mind, he said.

However, if he hadn’t changed the vote, there was a high probability that the mayor would have been forced to break the tie, and option that didn’t appeal to Schaer.

“This is an impossible situation to be in,” he said. “I am prepared to change my opinion and my vote.”

The council was pushed into executive session shortly after Goodman’s oath of office, taking the opportunity to comment that night.

Stacy Goodman has been a lawyer at the small Issaquah-based firm Carson & Noel for three years, and was an editor and reporter at the Issaquah Press for nine years.

She’s served on multiple boards including the city parks, the food and clothing bank and the historical society. Her application came with several letters of recommendation.

The term only lasts 10 months, so the new council member is expected to soon announce intentions on whether to run for reelection in the fall.

The seat became vacant in January, after McCarry announced her resignation due to a diagnosis with Lou Gehrig’s disease.