SAN LUIS OBISPO, Calif. - The city of Guadalupe is getting a new City Administrator at the expense of the San Luis Obispo City Council. Andrew Carter is stepping down to take the full time job of City Administrator for Guadalupe.
According to SLO City, Carter has served on the City Council since 2006, and is currently filling a term that will expire on December 1, 2014. With less than two years left in the term, the City Council will now decide whether to appoint a replacement for Council Member Carter, or call a special election.
The appointment process was last used in 2010 when Mayor Jan Marx was elected Mayor in the middle of a four-year term as Council Member, creating a vacancy on the Council. At that time, the City Council chose to appoint Dan Carpenter, who was recently elected to a new four-year term. The appointment process was used twice in the 1990's.
The process to replace a sitting Council Member is detailed in the City's Charter (Section 406), and the Council's Policies and Procedures Manual. The vacant seat must be filled by appointment made by the majority of the remaining Council Members within 30 days of the vacancy occurring. If no appointment is made, a special election will be called to occur no sooner than 90 days, nor later than 150 days following the vacancy. Council Member Carter's last day as a Council Member for the City of San Luis Obispo will be February 20, 2013 and that will be the day on which the vacancy will occur for appointment purposes.
After more than six years on the City Council, Carter's contributions will be missed by many. Mr. Carter is known for his analytical abilities, focus on financial trends (especially regarding City expenditures), and an unwavering commitment to the role and responsibilities of the City Council. During his term on the Council, Carter became a strong advocate for pension reform and voted with the majority of the City Council to create second-tier pension formulas for all City employee groups. Mayor Jan Marx said, "We will miss Andrew's passion for financial sustainability and keen ability to understand complex issues. We all wish him the best in his new career path."
The City Council will discuss the process for filling this vacancy during the City Council meeting on February 5, 2013. Anyone interested in filling the vacant Council seat will have a minimum of ten days following the advertisement of the vacancy in local newspapers to submit an application. The dates for the application period will not be known until the City Council takes action on the process to fill the vacancy during an upcoming meeting. Once application due dates and other key information are available, the City's website will be updated and an additional press release will be issued so that the community is aware of the process and all of the key application dates and meeting times associated with filling this important vacant City Council seat.
For more information regarding the appointment process, please contact any of the following City staff members:
- City Manager, Katie Lichtig at 781-7114
- City Attorney, Christine Dietrick at 781-7140
- City Clerk, Maeve Kennedy Grimes at 781-7102
