Council has a chance to alter the mix

The Yakima City Council has a rare opportunity to appoint a council member to finish an unexpired term. It’s very important that the panel stay focused, carefully look at all of those expressing an interest to serve, and select a group of finalists most qualified to serve in such an important position.

Once that’s done, if a tie-breaker is needed let careful additional consideration be given to diversity in general, ethnicity in particular.

The new member will replace Norm Johnson, who is trading his seat on the council for a 14th District seat in the state House of Representatives, to which he was elected Nov. 4.

Of the remaining six members, the mix is not bad in terms of age, from two retirees, Kathy Coffey and Bill Lover (Johnson is a third), to 23-year-old Micah Cawley. Professional experience in the private sector is varied and useful.

But ethnicity and gender are lopsided. In a community that is nearly 40 percent Latino, the City Council is entirely white. And six out of the seven members are men. Both of those realities should be given consideration in the final pool of talent; that’s simply in keeping with the council’s mission statement calling for diversity in its leadership.

“Our council doesn’t reflect that (diversity),” Mayor Dave Edler told our reporter. “My personal  hope is that somebody of Hispanic descent would rise up and be a good qualified candidate.”

We hope that qualified people of every background step forward as candidates for the appointment. Then the six council members who will make the selection will have a chance to find the one person who adds the most to the current mix.

The council doesn’t get many opportunities to address qualifications and diversity in an appointment to finish out a term. According to the city clerk’s records, the last person appointed to fill an unexpired term was George Pechtel, who replaced Lynn Carmichael in January 1990.

Johnson’s successor will serve until the municipal elections in November 2009. The seat is one of three at-large positions on the panel, all of which will be up next year in citywide elections. Candidates for the other four positions on the council are nominated by council district in the primary election.

What that means is that whoever is picked by the Council to replace Johnson will have to face voters next year to keep the seat.

The entire City Council has turned over in the last two elections, yet ethnic and gender diversity remains an elusive goal. We know there are many qualified women and minorities out there who would be valuable additions to the City Council, and their opportunity to be heard would be as a potential replacement for Johnson.

After that, council elections loom in 2009 and 2011 and the call should go out now for solid candidates. This particular appointment process can also serve as a valuable stimulus for seeking out candidates for the municipal elections down the line.

Local government is facing trying times these days, with tight money situations squared off against ongoing demands for public services. Serving on the City Council can be a thankless job, but also one that offers a tremendous opportunity to be a leader and give back to the community.

It’s government that’s closest to the people, and one we’d like to see a wide variety of people involved in.

• Members of the Yakima Herald-Republic editorial board are Michael Shepard, Sarah Jenkins, Bill Lee and Karen Troianello.

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