Tulare sets Oct. 29 deadline for District 3 council applicants

Tulare is accepting applications to fill its vacant District 3 City Council seat, with completed applications due Oct. 29 at 5 p.m. No replacement had been appointed as of Oct. 18. Qualified electors of District 3 may apply, and the City Clerk’s Office will check applicants’ eligibility.

Who can apply and when the council may act

Applicants must meet the requirements of the City Charter and applicable law, including being a qualified elector of District 3. The city notice says the clerk’s office will verify eligibility and that late applications will not be accepted. The District 3 seat in Tulare remains vacant while the application process is underway.

The city notice anticipates that qualified applicants will be considered at a Nov. 3 council meeting at 5:30 p.m. at the Tulare Public Library; the council’s published meeting information also lists a meeting for that date and time. Council members may interview applicants. Any appointment would be made at a public council meeting, but the notice does not guarantee that a selection will happen on Nov. 3.

Charter sets a 30-day vacancy period

Section 9 of the Tulare City Charter says the council appoints a qualified elector from the district where the vacancy occurred. The appointee serves until the next general municipal election, when voters choose a successor for the unexpired term. The city notice describes the appointee’s service as lasting until the November 2028 General Municipal Election results are certified and accepted by the council.

The charter also says the mayor is to fill the vacancy if the council has not done so within 30 days after it occurs. The Visalia Times-Delta reported that city staff identified Nov. 7 as the 30th calendar day following this vacancy. That deadline makes the anticipated Nov. 3 consideration an important date in the appointment process, though it does not establish that the council will appoint someone at that meeting.

The vacancy followed the death of Vice Mayor Stephen Harrell, who died Oct. 8, according to local reporting. Until an appointment is made, District 3 residents have no council member occupying the seat. Eligible district electors have until the Oct. 29 deadline to submit an application for consideration.