During the first Des Moines City Council meeting of the new decade on Jan. 7, Bob Sheckler was elected to a fourth consecutive term as Des Moines Mayor in a 5-2 vote.

Councilman Dave Kaplan will serve as the new mayor pro-tem.

At the end of 2009, the council passed a budget with an over $200,000 hole, something the city plans to fill with incoming revenue.

Newly elected council members Matt Pina and Melissa Musser, along with re-elected Council members Carmen Scott and Kaplan were sworn in.

After the swearing in, lawmakers began the process of choosing a new mayor. Kaplan nominated Sheckler. Scott Thomasson nominated Pina, who declined to have his name in the vote for what he described as a variety of reasons. Councilmember Dan Sherman then nominated Thomasson.

Thomasson received votes from Sherman and himself. The rest of the council, Scott, Kaplan, Musser, Pina and Sheckler voted to give the former mayor another two-year term.

Starting off the selection of a new mayor pro-tem, Scott nominated Kaplan. Thomasson then nominated Musser. Kaplan won 4-3 with Sheckler, Pina, Scott and Kaplan voting for him. Musser, Sherman and Thomasson voted for Musser.