REPORT TO CITY COUNCIL
To:Honorable Mayor and Members of the City Council
From:Jason Simpson, City Manager
Prepared by:Candice Alvarez, MMC, City Clerk
Date:October 28, 2025
Subject:City Council Vacancy
Recommendation
Consider the applications received from six applicants to fill the District 4 Council Member vacancy, receive public comment, and nominate and vote to appoint one of the candidates to fill the District 4 Council Member vacancy in accordance with the established selection procedure.
Background
On September 8, 2025, former Council Member Natasha Johnson (District 4) submitted her resignation from the City Council. The resignation was effective immediately, thereby creating a vacancy on the City Council. Pursuant to applicable law, the vacancy must be filled by appointment or the City Council must call a special election within 60 days.
Pursuant to City Council Policy No. 200-11, the City Council took immediate steps towards filling the vacancy. A Notice of City Council Vacancy was posted.
At the regular meeting of September 23, 2025, the City Council determined to proceed to filling the vacancy by appointment. The Council also selected Mayor Tisdale and Mayor Pro Tem Magee to serve as the subcommittee to review applications and interview the applicants. A two-week application period was provided during which six (6) applications were received. The subcommittee conducted applicant interviews on Friday, October 17, 2025.
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Discussion
Staff recommends that, following the staff report, the City Council receive public comments. At the conclusion of public comments. Each applicant will be invited to make a 3-minute statement.
After the candidates’ statements, the City Council will have the opportunity to ask questions and make comments, followed by the nomination process.
Mayor Tisdale will open nominations for the Council Member (District 4) position. Once all nominations are received, Mayor Tisdale will close nominations and request that the City Clerk conduct a roll-call vote. Each Council Member will vote by announcing their first choice.
The candidate who receives an affirmative vote of a majority of the members present and voting shall be appointed to fill the vacancy. An abstention is a “non-vote” and does not count “for” or “against” a motion. The candidate who receives a majority affirmative vote will be appointed to fill the City Council vacancy and will be sworn into office at the next regular City Council meeting on November 18, 2025. The person appointed to fill the vacancy will hold office until the next general municipal election in November 2026, and the candidate who is elected at that election is sworn into office. The person elected to fill the vacancy will hold office for the unexpired balance of the District 4 Council Member term until December 2028.
If no candidate receives a majority affirmative vote, the City Clerk will invite a motion to reopen nominations. Any Council Member may make a motion to reopen nominations. This motion requires a second and a majority vote.
If a majority of the City Council does not vote to reopen nominations and the City Council is deadlocked on an appointment, the item must be continued to a special meeting, with direction to the City Clerk to prepare the necessary documentation to call a special election. The special meeting to call the special election must be held on or before November 7, 2025, in order to meet the statutory deadline. The special election will be set for June 2, 2025.
Pursuant to the Council Policy and as directed by the City Council, the subcommittee has determined that two applicants are extremely well qualified and recommends their consideration to the full City Council:
Michael Carroll and Timarie Wooley
Copies of the applications completed by each of the six applicants are attached.
Fiscal Impact
Costs incurred of filling the vacancy by appointment are limited to staff time. If a special election is called to fill the vacancy, the costs of the election from the Riverside County Registrar of Voters Office are estimated to be $32,000.
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Attachments
Attachment 1 - Applications
City Clerk's Office