Richardson City Council selected three finalists for the vacant Place 3 seat at the Sept. 14 meeting.
The overview
Council will conduct final interviews with Daniel Burdette, Jeffrey Davis and Jordan Noret during open session on Sept. 21, after which the council will select a lone finalist.
Council member Dan Barrios announced his resignation on July 13 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.
Council will officially vote on and swear in the lone finalist on Sept. 28.
A closer look
Council decided on the three finalists during a closed executive session.
Council members Dan Barrios and Curtis Dorian said they looked for candidates with demonstrated involvement in the community when selecting the three finalists.
“You have to know the people in the city if you’re going to serve the people,” Dorian said.
Council member Jennifer Justice said she prioritized candidates who positioned themselves as “being ready on day one,” as they would be joining in the middle of a council term.
“It was important for me to be able to have someone that I felt like could be flexible, could be future-looking and could ultimately help our city continue to be the city that leads when it comes to innovation,” Mayor Amir Omar said.
Council member Joe Corcoran said he looked for candidates with a temperament that would be suited to working with residents, as well as a strong knowledge of City Council. Mayor pro tem Ken Hutchenrider said he looked for applicants who he believed would work in the best interest of the city as a whole.
Council member Arefin Shamsul noted that the vacant seat will be up for election in May and encouraged applicants who did not move forward to run in the May election.
“In the May election, people will choose who they like most,” Shamsul said.
Some context
Applications for the seat were open from July 22 to 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.
“I’m thankful that we not only got the quantity [of applicants], but we got the quality that we ended up getting, and I’m going to be honored to serve with anyone who we end up being able to select in this process,” Omar said.
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.
