The death of Mayor Greg Pettis left an empty seat on the Cathedral City city council – which will soon be filled by someone who lives somewhere in the city and takes a couple minutes to answer a whopping six questions.
Via the Uken Report:
Anyone wishing to be considered for the appointment must be at least 18 years of age, a U.S. citizen, and a registered voter in Cathedral City. He or she must also complete a six-question application. Questions will include why you want to be on the City Council, how long you have lived in the city, the applicant’s top two priorities, how you would handle disagreements with colleagues on the City Council, and more. Potential applicants must complete the application with their legal name and address.
Applications can be found on the city’s website beginning today, Feb. 14 and must be completed no later than Feb. 19. All applications must be filed with the City Clerk.
The council will not conduct any interviews and, despite the fact the Cathedral City is now a city that votes based on districts, the seat will be considered at large, meaning someone from outside of District One could serve for two years before the next election – which seems to defeat the who point of moving to district-based elections.
The council could’ve simply held a special election, allowing actual residents of the city to vote on who should hold the seat, but, according to the Desert Sun, the City Attorney’s office recommended the council move forward with an appointment because it was faster and cheaper – because, you know, they gotta save that money for more awesome festivals!
But then again, it does save potential candidates the cost of campaign commercials or yard signs – but, it does seem to limit the options to someone who can ace the whole “how you would handle disagreements with colleagues on the City Council” essay.
