09/09/2026
At a special meeting Tuesday evening, Whitehouse Village Council selected Nikki Hartbarger to fill the seat left vacant by Louann Artiaga's resignation last month.
Hartbarger, who had been serving as council clerk for the Village of Whitehouse, Ohio, was sworn in by Mayor Rich Bingham in council chambers.
Council members had interviewed Hartbarger and three other applicants -- Jeff Heaney, Jake Heilmann, and Lisa Morrison -- in open session during a Committee of the Whole meeting Tuesday.
All candidates emphasized the importance of soliciting input from constituents, and priorities expressed included managing growth and protecting green space. Hartbarger said that as council clerk she had become accustomed to the time commitment and was eager to take on additional roles with boards and commissions.
"I'd love the opportunity to help actually make decisions," she said.
Council committee members, along with the mayor and village administrator, deliberated in executive session for about 20 minutes. At the following special meeting of Council, councilman Larry Yunker made a motion to nominate Hartbarger and the vote was unanimous, 5-0.
Council President Steve Fine said that as Yunker was likely to announce his expected resignation at the next regular meeting Sept. 15, council would be prepared to pick from among the remaining candidates to fill that vacancy.
When asked, Fine said council would not be soliciting additional applications for Yunker's unexpired term. He did say that the village would advertise for the open position of council clerk following Hartbarger's appointment.
As Artiaga was re-elected in the 2025 general election for a four-year term beginning Jan. 1, 2026, the unexpired term of this council seat would be open for ballot candidates in the 2027 general election for the remaining two years of the term.
Yunker was elected in 2023 for a four-year term beginning Jan. 1, 2024. If he resigns, which he previously said he would do because he is moving outside village limits, an appointment to his seat would be for the full remainder of the unexpired term. The seat would be open to ballot candidates in the 2027 general election on its regular cycle for a full four-year term.
IMAGE: Mayor Rich Bingham issues the oath of office to newly appointed councilwoman Nikki Hartbarger as Village Administrator Jordan Daugherty looks on Tuesday evening, Sept. 8, 2026, in Whitehouse Village Council chambers. (Courtesy photo to AWFP)
