The city of Cheney is looking for some civic-minded individuals to serve on the City Council in the position left vacant by the resignation of long-time Councilman Bob Stockton last month.
“They need to be good with the council, and advocate for the city and have a desire to run for office,” Mayor Tom Trulove said. “We’ve got to find some slightly crazy people to do that.”
Trulove said a couple people have contacted the city indicating interest in the position. In past situations where a council person has stepped down, the vacancy has been filled by an individual who previously campaigned for a position on council, and Trulove said he felt it is important to include others in the process.
“I think it’s a good idea to open it up a bit here,” he said.
According to a Sept. 8 press release from the city, applicants must have lived in Cheney for at least one year, and must be a registered voter. The appointment will expire Dec. 31, 2015, and to continue in office the successful candidate will have to run for re-election to a full, four-year term during the 2015 campaign season.
Stockton was last re-elected in 2011. He resigned Aug. 12 in a letter sent to the council in which he cited significant changes in his life that forced him to be absent from the community for long periods of time.
Council members are compensated to the tune of $450 a month, and meet on the second and fourth Tuesdays of the month, along with specific committee meetings. Interested applicants must submit a resume and letter of interest to Trulove at 609 Second St no later than 5 p.m., Sept. 25.
Applicants will be screened and finalists invited to be interviewed by the City Council in an open meeting. At the conclusion of this process, one candidate will be recommended to the mayor and appointed by the council in early October.
Trulove said that not a lot of interest has been shown in city government lately, with the exception of a few people. He hopes individuals not typically involved in city functions will step forward and begin a dialogue about Cheney government.
Cheney is entering its annual budgeting process, and has a number of important issues and challenges facing it, such as maintaining levels of service in the face of dwindling revenues, and whether or not some revenue streams need to be increased.
“We would like to have a conversation with the people,” Trulove said.
John McCallum can be reached at jmac@cheneyfreepress.com.
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