Seeking candidate for City Council vacancy – District 5
Published on December 01, 2022
On Nov. 17, 2022, City Councilmember Mueller submitted a notice of resignation to Mayor Nash and the City Council. The notice of resignation specifies that City Councilmember Mueller’s resignation shall be effective upon appointment of his successor, but no later than Jan. 1, 2023. City Councilmember Mueller was elected at-large in 2012 and 2016. In 2020, he was elected to represent District 5.
At the Nov. 30, 2022, meeting, the City Council directed staff to begin the process to fill the vacancy for the District 5 City Council seat for the unexpired term ending December 2024 by appointment.
The City Council is the governing body of Menlo Park. As the legislative branch of our local government, the City Council establishes city policies, approves ordinances and resolutions, makes land use decisions, approves agreements and contracts, and sets utility rates.
Regular meetings of the City Council are generally held on the second and fourth Tuesdays of the month starting at 6 p.m., based on a meeting schedule approved by the City Council. A special meeting may be called as needed.
Eligibility requirements:
- A registered voter
- Live in District 5
- Over 18 years of age
- Committed to attending scheduled meetings
District 5 residency
Applicants must reside within District 5 and if selected, the applicant must continue to reside in District 5 throughout the term of the appointment. Lookup what district you are in at menlopark.gov/districts.
Submit an application
The application period will be open through Dec. 20, 2022. All applications must be received by the City Clerk no later than 5 p.m.
Completed applications will be accepted through the online application portal, email City Clerk Judi Herren or by dropping off at the City Clerk’s Office, City Hall, 701 Laurel St., 2nd Fl.
If you would like a hard copy, please email or call City Clerk Judi Herren.
Interview Process
The City Council will interview applicants and make an appointment at a special meeting scheduled for 6 p.m., Dec. 21, 2022. Before commencement of the interviews, candidates shall be placed in a random drawing to determine the order in which candidates are interviewed.
Candidates shall each be allotted five minutes to introduce themselves to the City Council. Time limits shall be strictly enforced during this phase of the interview. Candidates may all be present at the same time that another candidate is being interviewed.
To ensure equal opportunity and standardization, each City Councilmember will have an opportunity to ask questions of the candidates from the list of questions in the Questionnaire and follow-up questions to responses that the candidate provided to the Questionnaire.
The City Council shall hear from members of the public after the City Council has asked all questions of the candidates. The City Council will also have the opportunity to discuss and deliberate the candidates.
At the conclusion of discussion, the city clerk will ask each City Councilmember for their nominations. The candidate that receives the most nominations will be brought up for a motion and vote on appointment to the vacant office. If no candidate receives more nominations than any other candidate, any City Councilmember may move to appoint one of the candidates to the vacant office. If the motion to appoint fails, the nominations shall continue until a motion is supported by a majority of the City Council. A motion to appoint must be supported by a majority of the City Council in order for an appointment to be made.
Upon the affirmative vote of the City Council, the selected individual may be sworn in during that meeting or the City Council may direct the swearing in of the candidate to take place at a future City Council meeting. The newly appointed City Councilmember shall be eligible to take part in City Council meetings after being sworn into office.