West Lake Hills welcomes new council member, selects mayor pro tem

The May 12 West Lake Hills City Council meeting served as the first for first-time council member Gordon Bowman.

Bowman has been a resident of West Lake Hills for roughly 25 years and previously served on the city’s bond advisory committee before plans for that bond were scrapped.

He filled a seat left vacant by Jim O’Connor who served the city since 2015. O’Connor, who also served as mayor pro tem, declined to seek re-election in the May 1 local election.

The city called off the election during a March 11 council meeting, as all candidates, including Bowman, were running uncontested races.

In light of O’Connor’s vacant position, council members were tasked with selecting a new mayor pro tem—a council member designated to act as the mayor during the mayor’s absence.

Council members unanimously voted to appoint Darin Walker, the council’s longest-serving member, to mayor pro tem during the May 12 meeting.