City Council outlines process for picking new member
By NewsPress Now
Applications are being taken for an open seat on the St. Joseph City Council.
Councilmember Taylor Crouse announced his resignation as the District II representative last week due to his planned move outside of its boundaries.
The City Council is asking those interested in the seat to submit a letter of intent and resume to the City Clerk’s office before 5 p.m. on Friday, March 29. The items must be hand delivered to Room 303, City Hall, 1100 Frederick Ave.
Mayor John Josendale said it’s important to have strong voices from each district in the city, including the individual who fills the District II vacancy.
“The south end is very important to us. They’re a gem that we don’t always get the word on and having a strong individual from that area I think is very important,” Josendale said.
The City Charter requires applicants to be qualified voters and residents of the city for at least one year immediately before appointment. Applicants also must have resided within District II for at least the previous six months.
The mayor also emphasizes that all applicants must have all city taxes paid up to date.
Submissions will be reviewed by the City Council at a work session on Monday, April 1. From there, the chosen candidates will be interviewed on Thursday, April 4.
Josendale made it clear the process for selecting a new council member is an open public forum to all residents. He said that residents will be able to sit in on interviews of the different candidates.
The process will have the candidates interviewed in the council chamber individually. During that time, the other candidates will be placed in another room. This is to conduct interviews in a fair order.
Councilmembers will vote on the candidate to fill the vacancy at a special meeting on Tuesday, April 9, and the person appointed will be sworn in before the April 15 council meeting.
Josendale said getting someone appointed into the position soon is a must, especially as leaders move toward decision time for several tasks, including budget season for the city.
He said it’s a good opportunity for the people on the south side of town to make a difference.
“This is an opportunity to get your voice heard, be involved in the government. We are really looking forward to hopefully a number of people coming up and being involved (in the process),” Josendale said.
