MORAGA — The Town Council has opted to fill a vacancy on the council by appointing someone, saying an election would be too expensive.
The council rejected handpicking a new council member, such as selecting someone who previously ran for office or a former elected official, to replace David Stromberg, who resigned after announcing that he was moving out of Moraga.
Instead, the council wants people to apply to fill the vacancy. The application process opened Friday. Interviews are planned for Oct. 12 during a special open council session.
The new council member also likely will be chosen on that date.
The interviews could extend through Oct. 13 if more than five candidates apply, according to Town Manager Cynthia Battenberg.
“I think this is a very important decision for us,” Mayor Mike McCluer said Wednesday when the council asked the town’s staff to begin the process of seeking candidates. “Filling a council seat might be the most important thing we are going to do all year.”
Filling the vacant seat with an election through mail-in ballots would cost about $8 per registered voter, Battenberg said. There are 11,638 voters in Moraga, according to the California Secretary of State’s office.
The cost for mail-in ballots would be about $93,000, Battenberg said.
“In a perfect world we want to go with the voters with this,” Councilwoman Renata Sos said during the meeting. “But this is not a perfect world and we are in circumstances where we need to make a decision that is right for this town.”
State law establishes May 3, 2022, as the closing date for a mail-in only election, Battenberg added.
“You would have a very long vacancy,” she told the council.
Waiting until June next year, when a regular election is scheduled with both mail-in ballots and polling places, would cost up to $163,000 to fill the vacant seat. The figure is higher than relying only on mail-in ballots because of the need to hire poll workers, review polling places for accessibility and other expenses.
“This is a cost we have not budgeted and obviously (waiting to tally votes is) a long time for the council to fill that seat,” Battenberg said.
Stromberg’s term on the council was set to end in December 2024.
His replacement will serve for one year, not for the full remainder of Stromberg’s term. The seat will be on the November 2022 election ballot.
To qualify for the appointment, those wanting to apply must be a Moraga resident, a registered voter and at least 18 years old. They also must file a statement declaring their economic interests and cannot be a current council member.
In his Aug. 26 resignation letter to town officials, Stromberg said he was moving from Moraga because of “personal and private circumstances.”
Applications for his seat are due Sept. 30.
More information on applying to become a council member is available at 925-888-7050 or www.moraga.ca.us/230/Town-Council