It will be a busy (and possibly long) Thursday afternoon and evening for the Staunton City Council as six elected members interview applicants for the vacant City Council seat.
So what is the point?
By the deadline on Friday, January 27, 20 residents submitted applications.
Thirteen of them are newcomers to the city service. Seven have been elected or appointed to city office in the past. At least one now serves on the commission to which he was appointed.
What’s next? And why will Thursday be so busy (and maybe long)?
On Thursday, Feb. 2, at 4:15 p.m., the six-member City Council will meet in the Rita S. Wilson Council Chambers and interview five candidates, according to the city’s website. These interviews, scheduled for 20 minutes each, will likely last until approximately 6:00 p.m. Interviews can be conducted in person or via Zoom.
After the interview, there will be a public comment period, during which each participant will be given up to two minutes to speak to the job board. This is where things can get tricky.
Why doesn’t every applicant go through a public interview?
At its Jan. 26 meeting, the board decided to narrow the list of candidates down to five finalists using “a rating system or rubric based on each individual’s application,” according to a Jan. 27 city news release.
We asked Council Secretary Kylie Kesecker for a copy of the scoring rubric so the public knows the basis on which the finalists are selected. As soon as we get a copy, we’ll post it in this story.
How long will the appointed deputy of the city council work?
“The person appointed to fill the vacancy will serve until the person who receives the highest number of votes in the November 7, 2023 special election for the remainder of the term shall have qualified for the position,” the city said in a news release.
Here are the contenders
Information provided by each applicant can be found at city website.