Appointments to city boards such as the Planning Board and Board of Adjustment usually are routine, uncontroversial. That was not the case Monday when it came to appointing someone to the Washington Historic Preservation Commission.

Councilwoman Virginia Finnerty, the council’s liaison to the commission, nominated Colleen Knight to serve a three-year term. The council voted 3-2 to appoint Knight.

Before that vote occurred, Councilman Doug Mercer nominated Ed Hodges Jr., a veteran member of the board and who was its most-recent chairman.

Usually, when a council member nominates someone to one of the city’s boards, the other council members defer to that council member’s choice and appoint the nominee. Mercer decided to buck that tradition.

Earlier this summer, Finnerty nominated two people to take seats on the commission and the council appointed them. A third seat on the commission was available, but she chose not to make that appointment at that time. At the council’s July 10 meeting, three people voice concern that Finnerty had not reappointed Hodges, saying his leadership and experience as a commission member and chairman were needed on the commission. Others voiced their support for Hodges with letters to the editor and Sound Off comments.

As soon as Finnerty made her motion Monday for the council to appoint Knight and it was seconded, Mercer spoke up — before a vote was taken on Finnerty’s motion — to nominate Hodges.

“First of all, I would like to let you know I am the one overseeing the commission, and I have good reasons to not reappoint Mr. Hodges,” Finnerty said to Mercer. “I don’t appreciate you taking over and hijacking this. I don’t do that to your decisions on the commissions that you oversee, and I would appreciate it if you would leave it alone.”

Mercer replied: “Every member of this council as the right to nominate an individual to any board that this council approves. … As you know, I attended the last (commission meeting), as you did. I was concerned with the conduct of that board at that time, and I asked the city clerk to give me the roster and when those individuals were appointed. We have only one individual on that board that will have more than one year’s (worth of) experience. We have three who were appointed in 2016. We have two that were appointed this year. … But if you appoint (Knight) or we approve her, that means that we have six members on that board with a year or less experience.”

Mercer said experienced members of city boards, especially the Historic Preservation Commission and Board of Adjustment, are vital because those two boards are quasi-judicial bodies that make decisions that are binding on the City Council. “I think he (Hodges) will continue to be a good member of that board if he is reappointed,” Mercer said.

Finnerty responded: “I vehemently disagree. He was on there for six years, and from my experience in the seven years that I’ve lived in this town, those six years were riddled with controversy and problems. I met with Mr. Hodges. I told him that was my concern. He told me that he had no control as the chairman, that he could not lead them — that they did what they wanted to do. I don’t agree with that either.”

Finnerty said she does not believe longevity is a qualification for someone to be a commission member.

After the council voted 3-2 to appoint Knight, with Finnerty, Richard Brooks and Larry Beeman voting yes and Mercer and William Pitt voting no, the vote on Mercer’s motion, in essence, was moot because of the preceding 3-2 vote to appoint Knight.