Title
Staff Report for Council Discussion and Direction Regarding Process for Appointment to Fill District 4 Council Vacancy
Staffreport
SUMMARY AND RECOMMENDATIONS
The San Leandro City Charter requires the Council to fill a vacant Council seat within 60 days. If the Council fails to fill such vacancy within 60 days after its existence, the Council shall call a special election, at which the unexpired remainder of the term of such office shall be filled by the voters. With an impending short-term (5 month) vacancy on the City Council, the expense and logistics of conducting a special election to fill the vacancy is not practical or feasible. Therefore, staff recommends that the Council discuss an appointment process and timeline, and direct staff to implement the process to fill the vacancy.
It is recommended that the City Council, by motion:
1. Declare its intention to fill the upcoming District 4 Council vacancy by appointment and direct staff to provide public notice of the vacancy and the application process; and
2. Approve the process and timeline for filling the District 4 Council vacancy.
It is further recommended that the Council request that the Mayor appoint an ad hoc committee to develop questions for the applicant interviews.
BACKGROUND
At the July 2, 2012 City Council meeting, District 4 City Councilmember Joyce Starosciak announced that she would be moving out of San Leandro sometime in late July or early August. Councilmember Starosciak’s departure from District 4 would disqualify her from holding office and would immediately create a vacancy on the City Council. Section 250 of the Charter of the City of San Leandro requires that a vacancy on the City Council be filled by appointment by the Council within 60 days of the existence of the vacancy and if not filled within that time frame, a special election shall be called to fill the seat for the unexpired term.
Analysis
In order to meet the 60-day timeframe required by the Charter, sta...
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