King City recently published a City Council Vacancy Notice. A judicial battle led to this vacancy, which reveals a troubling trend: the council’s disrespect for voters’ opinions.
After voters recalled several council members last February, the remaining council reappointed one of the recalled councilors (Smart Ocholi) to an even longer term, completely dismissing the electorate’s will and simultaneously restricting one of the new applicants to the shortest term possible.
On November 12th, 2024, a Washington County court examined the reappointment of recalled councilor Smart Ocholi and found it to be unconstitutional. Council convened a closed-to-the-public executive session immediately after the hearing, and then hurriedly advertised a new council vacancy.
If Council rushes to fill the vacancy before the newly elected councilors begin office in January, then they will once again be bypassing voter sentiment. Every council member, both departing and remaining, should take a moment to consider their duties. In order to demonstrate their respect for the opinions of the electorate, they should either select the candidate who received the next-highest number of votes in the most recent election or let the newly elected councilors take part in filling the new vacancy in January.
King City has spent a lot of money on legal fees attempting to defend their unconstitutional behavior. Spending tax dollars to pay for legal defense of such dubious acts is outrageous. It is concerning that King City City Council is resistant to change and does not pay attention to its citizens.
I implore the council to honestly examine the election’s input as they decide how to fill a vacancy they created by their own inappropriate actions. Even though I have good reason to be skeptical of their desire to act in the best interests of the community, I hope they will step up and show that they are dedicated to serving their citizens.
The integrity of our local government is being closely examined. King City City Council should prioritize the voice of the people rather than disregarding it any longer.
