Appoint new council member and save money

As a result of Mayor Karen Robinson’s new county judgeship, she’ll

have to resign her Costa Mesa City Council post this month -- April

15, to be exact.

That resignation will leave a gap on the five-member board, and

the council will have to decide on Monday how to fill it.

There are two options: Appoint someone or hold a special election.

Now, as much it would be ideal to hold an election, it doesn’t

seem prudent for a few reasons.

In this economy, as governments at every level chop their budgets,

it would be unwise to use taxpayer money to elect someone to fill a

post for a year and a half. Robinson’s seat is up in November 2004.

Also, the replacement needs to be found immediately, so the

council can continue with city business.

So it would seem appointment would be the wisest option.

There are a few ways to appoint the next council member. The

council candidate who did not win the November election, but had the

most votes could be chosen to serve out Robinson’s term. Or the

council can interview applicants and vote on each one, much like it

used to do with commission appointments.

The latter option seems wisest and fairest in this particular

case. The council on Monday should adopt this option and invite

applicants for the post.

At the April 21 meeting, the council members will have read the

applications and can then interview and choose the new council

member. A majority vote -- in this case 3 to 1 -- makes the decision

final.

This way, the next council member would be able to begin work by

May 5. It seems like the only wise decision that could create a

nearly seamless transition. Only one meeting with four council

members would be held in the interim.

Now, it’s just a question of who. Anyone interested in serving the

city, including current commissioners, shouldn’t hesitate to apply.

Good luck.