Nine apply for Antioch Council seat appointment
By Allen Payton, Publisher
Nine Antioch residents have submitted the required paperwork to be considered for appointment to the City Council to fill the final two years in Mayor Wade Harper’s vacant seat.
The Council voted on December 4 to appoint the fifth council member, instead of appointing former Mayor Jim Davis who was the third highest vote-getter in the November election or have an election next June.
The applicants are Davis, former Mayor Don Freitas, former Councilman Manny Soliz, Jr., Planning Commissioner Vincent Manuel, Antioch Chamber of Commerce CEO Sean Wright, two-time Antioch School Board candidate Debra Vinson, former Political Director for the Contra Costa Labor Council Tony Tiscareno, Robert Miller and Jonathan Hernandez, a 24 year-old bail bondsman who was going to run for city council, this year, but didn’t.
They each submitted an application, Nomination papers with at least 30 signatures of registered Antioch voters, a Candidate Statement of up to 400 words and a Statement of Economic Interests form.
Documents for each of the nine candidates will be posted on the City’s website as part of the Council’s Agenda packet on Friday. To see the entire packet with details of all the applicants, click here.
The current four council members will make their decision at next Tuesday’s special council meeting, which starts at 6:00 p.m. in the Antioch Council Chambers, 200 H Street in downtown Rivertown.
Following the appointment of and Oath of Office ceremony for the new council member, the council will decide appointments to various committees and boards.
so our 4 council members appoint the peoples representatives?
what a slap in the face of democracy.
while i am not in jim d.corner at all, he is the one who is the next in line. people have voted for him in an democratic process.
don’t take that right to vote for the ones who represent us away from us. don’t bent our democracy.
the word on the street is, that Vincent Manuel is selected already. how can that be?
I agree, Karl.
It is ridiculous. Despite the fact that they can legally do this, it is morally correct to allow the people to vote. I, too, am not a Davis fan, but he did get the 3rd most votes. Hence, the voice of the people of Antioch.
It’s a shame. And a shame they did the same thing to Arne Simonsen.
Can we really trust the current council members to have our best interests in mind? With the ever increasing rise in crime and ever diminishing lower quality of life, one has to ponder.
Michael