The Centralia City Council unanimously elected Chris Brewer to be its next mayor following the brief mayoral tenure of Norm Chapman, who resigned from his council role last month.
The council also elected Councilor and former mayor Kelly Smith Johnston as its deputy mayor, a role that Brewer filled since September 2024. Brewer and Smith Johnston were the only councilors who received a nomination for their respective positions, as Councilor Tucker Voetberg provided both nominations.
“I just want to thank you all. It’s been an honor to serve in the deputy mayor capacity, and I believe that has prepared me to be able to step up and serve in the mayor role,” Brewer said. “Thank you for the nomination. I accept, and I appreciate serving with you all.”
“I look forward to continuing to serve the council and our community,” Smith Johnston said.
Brewer has served as mayor on an interim basis since Chapman’s resignation, which he announced Feb. 10 due to personal reasons. His resignation took effect Feb. 28.
Brewer was elected to the council in November 2023 and sworn in two months later in the at-large position 1 role. He currently works for Lewis County in the IT department and was previously a reporter for The Chronicle. He is a U.S. Air Force veteran who worked in broadcasting for the Armed Forces Network. Brewer defeated challenger Russell Barr in the 2023 election.
Smith Johnston, the at-large position 2 councilor, served as mayor from January 2022 to January 2026. While she received a nomination to serve another term as mayor in January, she declined.
During the council reports segment of the meeting at the end of the evening, Brewer once again thanked the council for their trust in him to serve as mayor.
“I do want to foster as collaborative an environment as possible, and if you all need anything from me, please don’t hesitate to ask,” he said. “I just want to be there for you and make sure that we’re all there for each other as we continue to go along. It’s not easy in the world these days at large, and we have a lot going on in Centralia. But if we collaborate and keep a really good attitude about us, I think that we can get a lot of good things done.”
As for the vacant District 1 position on the council, the city is accepting applications from candidates who currently reside in the district and have lived within Centralia city limits for at least one year. Applications close March 17, and the council will interview prospective appointees during a future council meeting. Applications are available at the city clerk’s office at Centralia City Hall or online at cityofcentralia.com.
