By JIM BUTLER

As expected Pineville has a new mayor.

Unexpected is that it lost a City Council member in the process.

Now both the Police Jury and the Pineville council have 20 days to make interim appointments.

First the scripted: Joe Bishop, Ward 9 police juror and parish president, on Wednesday was named mayor, succeeding Rich Dupree.

The vote was 3-1, Kevin Dorn not joining the Mutual Admiration Society due to dislike for the legally prescribed process for appointing a mayor.

Now the surprise, Mayor Pro Tempore Mary Galloway, Bishop’s sister, resigned her council seat before the mayoral discussion began.

Her announcement gave no indication as to the contributing factors.

The buzz was immediate.

Was she concerned about a potential conflict of interest?

Is she interested in filling her brother’s parish post?

Who is in that field?

Who’s interested in the council vacancy?

Will jury vice president Sean McGlothlin seek to succeed to the parish presidency in January?

McGlothlin is serving his fourth consecutive term as District G juror, active in public affairs at the local, state and national levels.