Council to Discuss Process to Fill District 5 Seat Vacated by Mayor Gordo

The City Council on Monday is expected to provide direction to city staff on the application process, the interview process, and the timeline involved with filling the council seat vacated by Mayor Victor Gordo.

Gordo resigned from his District 5 seat on Dec. 7, the day he was sworn in as mayor. Based on the 75-day deadline to fill the seat outlined in the City Charter, the council is expected to name his replacement by Feb. 20. 

According to an agenda report contained in Monday’s council agenda, city staff is suggesting the council form an ad hoc committee to oversee the procedures. 

“The ad hoc committee will review applications received, decide on the parameters and details of the public interview process, vet and present a recommendation of those candidates to be interviewed by the City Council, and identify/decide on the questions to be used at the public meeting when interviews occur,” states the report. 

Potential appointees would be interviewed prior to council meetings on Feb. 1 and Feb. 8.

All candidates would be interviewed on the same day, and no candidate would be permitted to view or be present during the interview of any other candidate.

The new District 5 councilmember will serve by appointment until the seat is filled through an election in December 2022. 

Each applicant will be asked to make a six-minute presentation to the council and respond to questions by members regarding their presentation and application. 

City Clerk Mark Jomsky will conduct a random draw at the start of the meeting to determine the order in which applicants will make their respective presentations.

The council has been forced in recent times to appoint two councilmembers.

In 2013, the council selected Joel Bryant from a list of five applicants to fill the District 3 Council seat left vacant by former Councilman and Mayor Chris Holden, who was elected to the state Assembly. 

Bryant filled the seat on a temporary basis until a permanent representative, John Kennedy, could be elected to the office.

Bryant was appointed 55 days after Holden stepped down from the City Council. 

The council took a different approach after former Mayor Terry Tornek, formerly the council’s District 7 representative, won the mayor’s race in 2015. 

In that process, applicants for Tornek’s council seat were required to pay the $25 registration fee and collect 25 signatures, which is required of candidates seeking election.

The council appointed an ad hoc committee to review the applications for Tornek’s former seat and prepare questions for the candidates. The council eventually selected current Councilmember Andy Wilson 45 days after Tornek formally stepped down.

Wilson, who last week was chosen by the council to serve as vice mayor, later won a full four-year term on the council.

The City Council’s meeting, still online due to COVID-19 restrictions, begins at 2 p.m. Members of the community may access the meeting through www.pasadenamedia.org and through www.cityofpasadena.net/commissions/agendas.