With Jerry Lord having resigned from his position on the Chehalis City Council last month, the council began the process of choosing someone to fill the empty Chehalis Council District 1 position.
Lord was originally elected in 2020 after beating former Chehalis City Councilor Terry Harris. During the council’s meeting on Monday, the councilors voted unanimously to approve an amendment to the council candidate requirements.
It was approved on first and final reading after the council voted to waive the normal requirement of having two readings of an ordinance.
It was made to allow potential candidates who have lived in Chehalis for at least a year but perhaps forgot to update their voter registration after moving to still apply, as long as they do change their registration to the district they are running for.
The amendment simply changes the requirement for a candidate to have been both a registered voter and resident of Chehalis for at least a year, to the candidate just having to be a registered voter and to have been a resident of Chehalis for at least a year. This change aligns Chehalis municipal code with Washington state law.
For Chehalis District 1 residents who are interested in applying for the city council position, applications are now available to download on the city’s website at https://tinyurl.com/3vn4pjcj.
The deadline to apply is 2 p.m. on Jan. 11, 2024, and applications can be mailed or turned in in person at Chehalis City Hall, 350 N. Market Blvd., Chehalis. They can also be emailed to Chehalis City Clerk Kassi Mackie at kmackie@ci.chehalis.wa.us.
According to state law, the city will have 90 days to choose Lord’s replacement following the official date of his resignation, Nov. 6.
Once applications are received, the Chehalis City Council will hold a special meeting on Jan. 18 to interview candidates and vote to choose the new councilor, who will then be sworn in during the regular city council meeting scheduled for Jan. 22.
For more information, email Mackie or call the city clerk’s office at 360-345-3240.
