Mattawa City Council discusses vacant council position

MATTAWA — With the appointment of former councilmember Maggie Celaya to the position of mayor, after the resignation of former mayor Scott Hyndman, the Mattawa City Council is in need of a new member.

The council has 90 days from the appointment of Celaya on Nov. 25 to fill the vacant position.

During a regular, online city council meeting Dec. 3, the council discussed how they would fill the position. According to Katherine Kenison, the city’s attorney, the only qualifications necessary to fill the vacant position are a potential candidate must be a registered voter and have lived in the City of Mattawa for a minimum of one year. The process of filling the position is up to the council.

“It is different in different cities,” Kenison said. “A relative, as a matter of law, is not disqualified from serving with a relative.”

Kenison said at one point, the city had a mother and daughter serving on the council. She also said the council is allowed to actively recruit someone for the position and decide on how the application process and interviews are conducted.

Councilman Brian Berghout said he had some people in mind he intended to approach about filling the position.

During the public comment portion of the meeting, an anonymous caller asked how the council would ensure the election of the new council member would be kept fair, if one of the applicants was related to a current member of the council.

Councilman Tony Acosta said because there are six people on the council, he believed the vote would be fair, even if there were multiple people applying who were related to council members.

“Me personally, I would like to see someone that we can get along with,” Acosta said. “They need to have the city in mind, want to see growth and align with our mission.”

Anyone interested in applying for the vacant Mattawa City Council position should contact Mattawa City Hall at 509-932-4037 for more information.