Wednesday night the Encinitas City Council heard from a dozen applicants vying for the seat that was left vacant last month by the
Council members will consider this input as they prepare for a Nov. 2 vote to appoint someone. That person will be sworn in during the Nov. 9 council meeting — and he or she will serve for the remainder of Houlihan’s term, which ends December 2012.
Originally there were 14 applicants, but candidate David Clark dropped out of the running earlier this week because he is a Cardiff School Board member and it’s illegal to hold two elected positions simultaneously — and candidate Alice Jacobson was not able to attend due to a scheduling conflict.
The dozen candidates each had five minutes to address council. Councilwoman Kristin Gaspar asked every candidate how he or she would foster a spirit of collaboration on council, if appointed. Councilwoman Teresa Barth asked each applicant if he or she plans to run for City Council in the 2012 election. A list of the candidates broken into groups depending on how they answered Councilwoman Barth’s question is below:
Applicants who do not plan to run for election in 2012 include:
- Robert Campbell, retired business executive and vice chairmen of the city’s Senior Citizens Commission
- David Drielsma, longtime teacher and member of the city’s Senior Citizens Commission
- Ken Harrison, owns a statewide traffic school and founding member of the Cardiff By The Sea Town Council
- Joann Hoffman, co-founder of public health research firm
Applicants who are unsure if they would run for election in 2012 include:
- Anthony Brandenburg, retired Superior Court judge and member of the city planning commission
- Joel King, retired US Army Captain and member of senior citizen commission
- Alan Lerchbacker, retired Naval Officer who also worked many years as a business executive
- Kent Mesplay, air quality inspector for San Diego County; Green Party member who also plans to run for president
- Mark Muir, Encinitas fire chief, elected board member of Olivenhain Municipal Water District
- Robert Schneider, retired Naval Officer and electrical engineer
Applicants who are planning to run for election in 2012 include:
- Tony Kranz, account executive for printing company; ran unsuccessfully for City Council in 2010, coming in third place with 8,870 votes
- Lisa Shaffer, UCSD lecturer; Maggie Houlihan that was filmed shortly before her death
If that is too difficult for them, then take the guy who was first runner up in the past election.
One of those pictures is of Maggie Houlihan - whose ardent supporters made her the number one vote-getter in her last election. The only question before the City Council should be who would best represent Maggie's constituency so they are not disenfranchised as a result of her death. City Council members can choose to use the appointment to exacerbate political conflict and community divisiveness; or it can demonstrate the moral integrity and concern for the city to use this opportunity to begin the healing process most Encinitans want. Bob Aronin Encinitas Neighbors Leucadia Neighbors Cardiff Neighbors
Gerry Smith