Want to serve on Tacoma’s City Council? Here’s your chance

If you’ve ever wanted to be a member of the City Council in Tacoma without first going through the whole election process, now’s your chance to be appointed.

The city is taking applications to fill Councilwoman Victoria Woodards’ council seat, which she’ll be vacating on Wednesday in order to run for mayor next year.

Applications to replace Woodards for at-large position No. 6 are being accepted now through Jan. 6 at 3 p.m., and the application process is open to people who are eligible voters and have been city residents for two years or more.

Effective Jan. 1, council members will be paid $46,013 per year, according to a news release from the city.

The City Council will meet in a study session to talk about qualifications for the position on Jan. 10. They will also hold an executive session to evaluate applicant qualifications that day. The Government Performance and Finance Committee will narrow candidates to three to five finalists on Jan. 18, and finalist interviews will take place during a study session on Jan. 24. The City Council is expected to vote to fill the position at its meeting later that day.

Whoever is appointed by the council will have to run for election to the seat in 2017 if they want to serve a full term.

The last time the council had to fill a vacancy created by a resignation was in January 2013, when Councilman Robert Thoms was selected from a pool of seven candidates to fill the vacated seat of Jake Fey, who had won election to the Legislature. Thoms won election to a full term later that year.

The application for the council seat is available on the city’s website or by calling the City Clerk’s office at 253-591-5505. Applicants can submit their materials by mail or in person at 733 Market St., Room 11; by fax at 253-591-5300; or by email at dsorum@cityoftacoma.org.

This story was originally published December 23, 2016 at 2:25 PM with the headline "Want to serve on Tacoma’s City Council? Here’s your chance."