The Oakdale City Council appointed councilwoman Cherilyn Bairos to serve as the interim mayor following former mayor JR McCarty’s resignation at the end of December last year, opening up a council seat.Prior to leaving McCarty had appointed Councilmember Christopher Smith as Mayor Pro Tem but after some discussion at a Thursday, Jan. 7 special council meeting, the council opted to appoint Bairos as mayor with Smith supporting the appointment.

Much like the decision to appointment Bairos was made in the fiscal interest of the city, council decided to forgo a special election for the now-open council seat and invite qualified community members to submit their application.

The cost of mailers and advertising was estimated at $2,000 as opposed to $96,000 for a special election.

A notice was posted on the city website stating:

·         The term of this Council seat is from the date of appointment through the date the results of the General Municipal Election on Tuesday, Nov. 8, 2022 have been certified.

·         Candidates must be 18 years of age, reside within the corporate (city) limits of the City of Oakdale, be registered to vote in the City of Oakdale at the time the application is issued and not have been convicted of a felony, or misdemeanor relating to financial impropriety.

·         Fully completed applications must be returned by 4 p.m., Friday, Feb. 5. Applicants may be invited for an oral interview before the city council.

·         The City Council will interview candidates separately and each applicant will have the opportunity to present their qualifications and discuss their candidacy with the City Council.

·         At a special meeting of the City Council on Wednesday, Feb. 10, at 6 p.m., each invited applicant will be asked to make a three-minute presentation to the City Council.

·         The applicant may then be asked to respond to questions the City Council may have regarding their presentation or application. The order in which the applicants will make their presentation will be determined by a random draw of all the applicant’s names. This random draw will take place at the beginning of the Special City Council meeting on Feb. 10 at 6 p.m.

The City Council may make a decision at the special meeting or may direct staff to place the matter on a future agenda for action.

Applications are available from: City Clerk’s Office, Oakdale City Hall, 280 N. Third Ave., Oakdale, CA 95361 and on the City website: http://www.oakdalegov.com.

Applications must be returned to: City Clerk’s Office, City of Oakdale City Hall, 280 N. Third Ave. Oakdale, CA 95361

The application deadline is 4 p.m., Friday, Feb. 5.