Hollister city council set to appoint new member to vacated seat as election day nears
With city elections only a month away, KION takes a look at Hollister. The city will see half of its council changing hands while two incumbents will seek re-election.
Hollister Mayor Ignacio Velasquez and District 2 councilwoman and Mayor Pro Temp Mickie Solorio Luna are the only incumbents attempting to reclaim their seats on the council.
District 3 and 4, meanwhile, are up for election.
Mayoral candidates challenging Velasquez include Gordon Machado and Keith Snow.
Current council members not filing for re-election include Karson Klauer of District 3 and Jim Gillio of District 4.
Gillio was appointed to the council in April of last year.
“What we recognized during the Jim Gillio appointment, it was very transparent. No one was going to a closed room or behind closed doors for discussion. It was all done out in public,” says City Manager William Avera.
Meanwhile District 1 will be appointed during a special meeting after the previous councilman, Ray Friend, vacated the position in July.
Applicants who will participate in an interview process and possibly be appointed to the council include Elizabeth Doidge, Kevin Henderson, Dawn Koistinen and Carol Lenoir.
That process is scheduled to take place October 1st at 4:30 pm before the current council meets at 6:30 pm.
“Most communities it’s rare to have an appointment and we just happen to have had 4 in the last two years so it’s really unique for us,” says Avera.
City leaders say they’re aware of some of the issues at stake as well.
“Traffic on highway 25 always seems to be a hot issue,” explains Avera. “We provide a lot of the housing for our neighbors to the north in the Silicon Valley so those are some issues we’re hoping to get corrected.”
The special meeting to appoint a new member to the vacated District 1 council seat is open to the public.
