Richardson City Council interviewed eight candidates for the vacant Place 3 council seat on Aug. 24.
The overview
Council member Dan Barrios announced his resignation on July 13 in order to focus on his campaign for U.S. Congress. Richardson’s city charter states that a single vacancy on the council must be filled by appointment, decided by a majority vote by the remaining members of council.
Applications for the seat were open from July 22-Aug.7, and according to city documents, council received 13 total applications. On Aug. 17, council selected the eight candidates to move forward to interviews:
- Richard Bell
- Daniel Burdette
- Jeffrey Davis
- Jeffrey Griffin
- Jordan Noret
- Scott Ricamore
- Genevra Thomas
- Eric Willadsen
What’s next
Mayor Amir Omar encouraged residents to reach out through social media, city email or in person to share thoughts on the candidates ahead of the next council meeting on Sept. 14.
At that meeting, council will select no more than three finalists who will move forward to interviews on Sept. 21, also conducted during open session. The interviews will be followed by a closed executive session where council will select a lone finalist.
Council will officially vote and swear in the lone finalist on Sept. 28.
Some context
The appointed council member will serve out the remainder of Barrios’ term, which lasts until the May 2027 election. In May, residents will vote for the next representative to hold the Place 3 seat.
The new council member must be a qualified voter, a resident of Richardson for at least one year prior to the appointment and at least 21 years old.
Barrios held the Place 3 seat on council, representing Richardson’s District 3, which spans most of the west side of the city. His replacement must also be a resident of Richardson’s District 3 for at least one year prior to assuming office.
