HomeMy WebLinkAboutDocumentation_Regular_Tab 8E_3/6/1997 E
Memorandum
To: Village Council
From: Thomas G. Bradford, Village Manager
Date: February 25, 1997
Subject: Process for Village Council Appointment; Agenda Item
This is in response to the Village Council ' s request at your
meeting on February 13, 1997, for the Village Manager to provide
a recommended process for filling the Village Council seat
vacated by Michael R. Meder.
The appointment of a person to fill a Village Council seat is a
political decision. No matter what process, formal, informal or
none at all, it will entail political decisions. As you know, it
is not the role of the Village Manager to engage in political
decision making. However, since the Village Council has asked
for suggestions relative to a process for filling the vacated
seat, I offer the following for your consideration.
Any criteria chosen by the Village Council will be subjective in
nature. What is important to one Councilmember may not be
important to another. Nevertheless, a list of criteria for your
consideration may be as follows :
• Willingness to run for office upon term expiration in March,
1998 .
. • Previous Village of Tequesta service on Boards, Committees,
Task Force, etc.
• Place of residence (geographical criteria)
• Knowledge of current issues such as, roadway mediation,
water dispute with Jupiter, Central Business District
Redevelopment, etc.
• Position on various issues . Obviously, this is very
subjective criteria and is dependent upon the positions on
such issues by the existing members of the Village Council .
• Strong expression of interest.
Each one of the above suggested criteria and others has relative
importance to each of you. I believe that it is unnecessary to
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Village Council
Village Council Appointment
February 25, 1997
Page 2 -
solicit "job applications" from our citizens. Those persons
interested should already be aware of the opening. Likewise, I
believe that it is unnecessary to conduct formal interviews for
the opening particularly when you consider that the Village
Council is not even required to fill the position. Such a
process may turn off prospective candidates.
I would recommend that at the April 10, 1997, Village Council
Meeting, that the Village Council make a decision relative to the
appointment . Accordingly, each Village Councilmember should be
prepared to nominate a person for Village Council appointment.
In the interim, each member of the Village Council should submit
a name (s) for consideration, based upon the expressions of
interest from citizens received by the Village Council . These
names and telephone numbers should be given to me for
distribution to all members of the Village Council . This will
enable each member of the Village Council to contact prospective
appointees and ask them the key questions that you feel are
important relative to this specific subjective criteria that each
of you may have in this regard.
TGB/mk
Council.appoint.Sam