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Yukon Council Taps Cacini, Kastl for Interim Leadership After Historic Recall
Following Mayor Brian Pillmore's ouster over a controversial data center and transparency concerns, the Yukon City Council appointed Rick Cacini as interim mayor and Zak Kastl as vice mayor. A special election in February will let voters choose permanent leadership.
YUKON, Okla. â The Yukon City Council moved swiftly to fill its leadership vacuum Tuesday night, selecting Rick Cacini as interim mayor and Zak Kastl as vice mayor, one week after voters decisively removed Mayor Brian Pillmore from office in a recall election.
The shake-up follows a grassroots campaign that collected just enough valid petition signatures to force the recall, fueled by months of public frustration over a proposed data center and perceptions that city leaders had sidelined residents on the project. Joe Horn, who helped lead the recall effort, said the signature drive reflected a community demanding a say in decisions that shape their neighborhoods.
Pillmore, who held the Ward 3 council seat, was defeated by Joe Phillips with more than 80% of the vote in last week's election, according to unofficial results. The lopsided margin underscored the depth of voter discontent.
The controversy also claimed former Vice Mayor Jeff Wootton, who resigned in June after being targeted by the same recall effort. Kastl was subsequently appointed to fill the vacant at-large council seat, and Cacini was later chosen as vice mayor before Tuesday's vote elevated him to the interim mayor's post.
Cacini's tenure could be brief. Voters are expected to choose a permanent mayor in a special election scheduled for February, with candidate filing set to open in December. Until then, the interim leadership will preside over a city still grappling with the fallout from the data center fight.
Yukon's recall is part of a broader wave of local uprisings across the country tied to data center development and other land-use disputes. So far this year, 46 recall efforts have targeted 83 officials in 10 states over data center issues, according to Ballotpedia. In Oklahoma alone, similar efforts have roiled Ardmore over a vote on Flock surveillance cameras, Claremore over a data center proposal known as Project Mustang, and Sand Springs over another data center project.
For Yukon residents, the leadership change signals a potential shift in how the city approaches future developmentâand how transparently it communicates with the people it serves. With the special election on the horizon, the coming months will test whether the new interim leadership can restore trust and chart a different course.