The Bellevue City Council voted to elect longtime Councilmember John Chelminiak as the city’s new mayor at its first council meeting of 2018 on Tuesday.

Chelminiak replaced former-mayor John Stokes, who will remain a council member. Councilmember Conrad Lee nominated Chelminiak for mayor. And, as the sole nominee, Chelminiak received a unanimous council vote.

Chelminiak was first elected to the council in 2004 and served as Bellevue’s deputy mayor twice – January 2006-December 2007 and January 2016-December 2017. Chelminiak’s term as mayor ends December 2019.

With two nominees for deputy mayor – council members Lynne Robinson and Jennifer Robertson – the council had a near-split vote.

However, Robinson received the last vote and became the city’s deputy mayor.

Chelminiak, Stokes, Robinson and Councilmember Janice Zahn voted for Robinson, while Robertson, Lee and Councilmember Jared Nieuwenhuis voted for Robertson.

Robinson has served on the city council since January 2014 and was recently reelected to council. She will serve as deputy mayor until December 2019 and replaced Chelminiak.

Because Bellevue has a council-manager form of government, the mayor has no veto power but instead attends ceremonial events, manages council meetings, helps set council agendas and serves as a city spokesperson.

The deputy mayor fulfills the mayor’s duties when he or she is unable to.

For more information, visit www.bellevuewa.gov/city-government/city-council.