City calls for mayoral candidates

RITZVILLE - With Mayor Gary Cook's last day drawing near, city council motioned to put out a call for letters of interest from those who might want to step into the position.

Cook's letter of resignation was accepted at the March 3 council meeting, with his last day being March 31.

The appointment will be from April 1 through November of 2021.

Eligibility requirements are being a U.S. Citizen, a registered voter and a resident of the city for one or more years prior to the appointment.

The appointed mayor will fulfill the role until November 2021, up to election certification.

If the appointed mayor or resident wants to run for election, he or she must file by May 15 of 2021 for the November 2021 election for the two-year unexpired term. The two-year term would start in November 2021 after election certification occurs and will end in 2023. The four-year term would then start in 2024, with filing to occur in 2023.

"Once the election is certified, whoever is the person that is selected will be appointed to the office," said City Clerk-Treasurer Julie Flyct. "Whoever is appointed can obviously run (for election) and if they are selected through that process, then they would continue on into the two-year term after that.

Former Mayor Linda Kadlec submitted a letter of interest to the city Feb. 28, and

Councilman and Mayor Pro-tem Dennis Chamberlain submitted his letter of interest March 3.

If the council chooses to interview candidates, it must be done in an open meeting,with discussion of qualifications of the candidates done in an executive session. The position will be filled by majority vote of the council.

Flyckt recommended anyone considering applying for the position review "Mayor and Councilmember Handbook" by Association of Washington Cities (AWC) and Municipal Research & Services Center of Washington (MRSC). The handbook details the mayor's leadership role as well as the job of a councilmember, and topics including legislative advocacy, budget basics, resolving and preventing mayor-council conflict and community participation at council meetings.

"Those who come to the job without having substantial experience in city government have a lot to learn," advise the authors in the introduction. "Some new mayors are overwhelmed by the amount of administrative work that their job entails."

"When the burdens of the presidency seem unusually heavy, I always remind myself it could be worse. I could be a mayor," Lyndon B. Johnson is quoted as saying.

Mayor Cook began serving as mayor in 2016, after serving as a city councilmember for the previous 12 years. He will be moving out of the area with his wife, Chris.

"Everyone's journey through life is one of inevitable change," Cook said. "It's time for Chris and I to embark on a new adventure; one that takes us into full retirement in a location we have been preparing for 12 years."

Cook said while they look forward to their new life, "it is with sadness that we leave our City 'family.'"

Chamberlain will serve as Mayor Pro-tem from April 1 forward until someone is appointed to the position. Council has up to 90 days to appoint someone as mayor. If they fail to do so, Adams County Commissioners have the responsibility of appointing someone. If commissioners do not do so within 180 days of the date of vacancy, the governor then has the authority of appointing a mayor.

Should Chamberlain be appointed as mayor, a new councilmember will need to be selected to fill his seat.

Letters of interest will be accepted at City Hall until 5 p.m. Tuesday, March 17.