Biggs City Clerk Roben Benish administers the oath of office to Zack Brown, who was appointed on Aug. 20 to fill a vacancy on the Biggs City Council. Photo by Susan Meeker 

BIGGS, CA (MPG) - The City of Biggs is back to having a full council following the appointment of Zach Brown during a special meeting on Aug. 20. 

The Biggs City Council officially appointed Brown, the sole qualified candidate to apply for the position, to fill the vacancy created by the resignation of Brian Bassett in February. Bassett’s resignation followed a lengthy period of internal turmoil, high council turnover and a whistleblower complaint against city leaders that turned up mostly unproven allegations.

Brown, a 30-year-old handyman and home maintenance business owner, moved to Biggs over one year ago and believes he will be a good fit for the community. 

“I’d like to give back in any way that I can, and I love small towns,” Brown said. “At times, I can be a problem solver, so I thought that I would do well here.”

The City Council had initially called for a special election on Nov. 4 to fill the vacancy, with the open nomination process closing on Aug. 8. With no other candidates, the city canceled the scheduled special election, saving the community over $50,000 in election costs, said Mayor Bo Shepard. 

Shepard expressed confidence in the appointment, stating, “Zach Brown is a committed member of our community, and we look forward to his contributions on the council.”

City Clerk Roben Benish administered the oath of office to Brown, which affirmed his commitment to support and defend the Constitutions of the United States and the State of California, and to faithfully discharge the duties of his new role. 

Brown, who is married with two young children, is formerly of Grass Valley and Reno. He moved to Biggs so his children can be closer to their grandparents and extended family who live in the rural community.

Brown began his tenure immediately, joining council members Jerome Squires and Anita Wilkes, who attended the special meeting to vote on his appointment, and Vice Mayor Doug Arnold, who was absent. 

Brown will serve the remainder of Bassett’s term, which expires at the end of 2026.