Nixa swears in two interim council members

Provided by city of Nixa

Seth Balogh

Provided by city of Nixa

Matt Ogden

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Nixa City Council this week filled two seats that were left vacant through resignations over the past month.

At its Sept. 26 meeting, council unanimously voted and then swore in Seth Balogh and Matt Ogden, according to a news release. They're slated to serve in the seats until the April 2023 municipal election.

Balogh was nominated by District 3 council member Darlene Graham to fill the District 3 seat recently vacated by Justin Orf. No other nominations were submitted for the position.

Balogh has experience in higher education, regulatory affairs and compliance, Graham said at the meeting, which was posted on YouTube.

District 1 council member and Mayor Pro Tem Jarad Giddens nominated Ogden for the vacant District 1 seat left open by the resignation of Amy Hoogstraet. No other nominations were submitted, according to the release.

At the meeting, Giddens said Ogden is a member of the city's Planning and Zoning Commission who has a background in power and utilities.

A Nixa spokesperson could not be reached for comment by deadline on the number of applicants for the open council seats. KY3 last week reported 11 applicants had filed paperwork for the posts.

In exiting her council role, Hoogstraet said she experienced "much vitriol as a council member due to my other work as an LGBTQ+ advocate," according to past reporting. Orf cited professional aspirations, noting he’s on track to earn his professional license in engineering.