Ceres City Council to fill District 1 vacancy. Here’s how to apply for the appointment
Ceres is seeking applications for a City Council member to represent District 1 and join the legislative body mostly made up of newcomers to elected office.
The City Council will appoint an applicant to serve the remainder of Channce Condit’s term because voters elected him to the Stanislaus County Board of Supervisors in November.
Applications are due by Jan. 26 and the council will interview all applicants on Feb. 2, per a council vote Monday. To qualify and serve as a council member until December 2022, applicants must be at least 18 years old and live in District 1. The northern district is bordered by Moffett Road to the east, Whitmore Avenue to the south and both Fifth Street and Central Avenue to the west.
The council has until March 4 to fill the vacancy by appointment. The council decided against holding a special election, which would cost about $34,000, City Attorney Tom Hallinan wrote in a report to the council. The estimate is based on the Stanislaus County Registrar of Voters charging about $6 per registered voter in District 1.
Except for Council Member Linda Ryno, the current members of the council are first-timers to elected office. The council deadlocked on two issues in its meeting Monday, so the District 1 appointee may cast deciding votes in the future.
The council split 2-2 on motions to approve an amended development agreement with a cannabis dispensary and extend a conflict of interest code. The council postponed the former issue to an April meeting, with Council Member Bret Silviera saying a full council will be able to take action on the proposed amended agreement with Kase’s Journey. Silviera and Mayor Javier Lopez voted to approve the agreement, while Ryno and Council Member Couper Condit voted no.
An appointee will help set policy for the city and make budget decisions. Ceres City Council members receive a monthly salary of $500.
Applications are available online and at Ceres City Hall. Questions can be directed to the City Clerk at 209-538-5731 or by email at cityclerk@ci.ceres.ca.us.
The council is scheduled to interview all applicants via teleconference during a special meeting at 6 p.m. on Feb. 2. The public will be able to watch the interviews on Zoom, per the council vote.
This story was originally published January 13, 2021 at 12:13 PM.
