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Chelsea Ziss is the youngest ever mayor in the city's history, as well as the first woman to hold the position.

MAUMEE, Ohio — Monday marked a new era in Maumee politics.

Chelsea Ziss was sworn in as Maumee’s new mayor at Monday night's city council meeting, completing a rapid and unusual leadership transition following the retirement of Mayor Jim MacDonald.

Ziss, who joined council in August through an appointment, becomes the city’s newest mayor after council voted last week to make her president of council. That position automatically ascends to the mayor’s office under Maumee’s charter when a vacancy occurs.

Moments after being sworn in, Ziss said the transition reflects a broader shift in the city’s leadership.

“It’s sort of reflective of this newer generation who’s coming up, so I’m very proud and happy to be here,” she said.

The change in succession came after former council president Gabe Barrow stepped down from the leadership role Wednesday while opting to remain on council. His decision opened the door for Ziss to be elected council president and ultimately become mayor.

Ziss, 36, acknowledged her relative inexperience compared to past city leaders but said she intends to focus on changing the tone within Maumee’s government.

“I don’t have as much experience in governance, but there’s one thing I do know: it’s culture, and that’s what I’m here to fix,” she said.

During Monday’s meeting, council voted to appoint outgoing council member Jon Fiscus as temporary council president through Jan. 1. Fiscus lost his seat in the November election but will oversee meetings until the new council convenes.

Ziss joked about the complexity of the process, saying, “It’s not Maumee if it’s not complicated.”

Her move to the mayor’s office leaves two vacant council seats. One is the appointed seat previously held by Scott Noonan, which Ziss has occupied since August. Council must fill that vacancy before Dec. 31, or, under charter rules, it automatically reverts to Ziss. If someone is appointed before the new year, that person must run again in the 2026 general election.

The second vacancy is the four-year seat Ziss won in November. That appointment will be made after Jan. 1 by the new council, and the appointee will also have to run next year.

Council-elect Isiah Gonzalez said he’s prepared for the work ahead.

“I already am well versed in all this stuff, and I kind of knew in the last couple of months that something like this could happen, so I’ve already been prepared, to be honest with you,” he said.

Ziss is now the first woman and youngest mayor ever in Maumee history.

Maumee Councilman Chelsea Ziss was elected president of council at a special meeting Wednesday morning.

On Monday she will ascend to the mayor’s office upon the retirement of Mayor James MacDonald.

The surprising turn of events followed Mr. MacDonald’s announcement on Sunday that he intended to resign effective Dec. 1. Then-city council President Gabe Barrow was expected to become mayor, per Maumee’s rules of mayoral succession.

But at Wednesday morning’s council meeting, Mr. Barrow resigned as council president. He will, however, keep his seat as a councilman. Council then voted Ms. Ziss in as its president.

Ms. Ziss was appointed to council in August to fill the seat left vacant by the resignation of former Councilman Scott Noonan.

According to the city of Maumee’s charter, if the office of the mayor becomes vacant, “the President of Council shall thereupon become Mayor and the office as a Member of Council shall become vacant, and shall serve as Mayor for the unexpired term or until the beginning of the term of a successor duly elected and qualified.”

Immediately after the vote to install Ms. Ziss as council president was taken, Nancy Gagnet, Maumee’s public information officer, slid outgoing council president Gabe Barrow’s nameplate off the council president’s seat and installed Ms. Ziss’.

Mr. Barrow congratulated Ms. Ziss and called her Mayor Ziss.

“Not quite yet,” she chuckled.

Ms. Gagnet said according to the city’s law director, when Ms. Ziss takes office as mayor on Monday, she will fill the remainder of Mr. MacDonald’s unexpired term. Mr. MacDonald was sworn into office in January, 2024. His seat will be on the ballot in 2027.

Ms. Gagnet said Ms. Ziss will also need to resign from her appointed council seat and her elected council seat. After being appointed to fill Mr. Noonan’s seat, she was elected to a full term in November. She has not been sworn in to that seat yet.

At Monday’s regularly scheduled council meeting, Ms. Gagnet said council will discuss the rules and procedures for appointing someone to a vacant council seat. Since there will be more than two years remaining in the term for that council seat, the city’s charter requires the appointed individual to run in a special election. Whoever is appointed to Ms. Ziss’ council seat will need to run in 2026, according to the city’s law director, Ms. Gagnet said.

Another councilman will likely serve as council president to replace Mr. Barrow, who said he was not interested in taking on the position again. He also noted that the new mayor could run council meetings until a new council president is chosen.

LaVera Scott, the director of the Lucas County Board of Elections, said she was unfamiliar with the meeting Wednesday morning, and could not immediately confirm the next steps for Maumee.

First Published November 26, 2025, 6:23 a.m.