A standing-room-only crowd filled the Buellton Council Chambers to celebrate the city’s new mayor before the panel debated how to fill the vacancy created by David Silva’s election to the role.
Thursday night’s meeting also included the swearing-in of a returning council member and recognition of the departing mayor.
Silva, who was first elected to a four-year term on the council in 2022, unseated incumbent David King in the Nov. 5 election for the two-year term of mayor.
“It means a lot for me to have your faith in being mayor of this town,” Silva said. “Buellton is a place that welcomes all. Buellton is a place that respects all, and Buellton is a place who takes care of each other. That does not go unnoticed by our surrounding cities.”
Councilmember Elysia Lewis also began her new four-year term after taking the oath of office while Councilmember John Sanchez attended the meeting remotely. He will be sworn in next month.
During the meeting, Lewis’ colleagues also selected her to serve as vice mayor for the next year.
The night began with the recognition of King for his years of dedicated service to Buellton, which has included 12 years on the council and two as mayor.
“The amount of energy and effort you put in this year have been exemplary and kind of put me to shame,” City Manager Scott Wolfe said.
Councilmembers also expressed appreciation for King including his help as they joined the panel.
“Just from talking with staff and the people involved with the day-to-day managing of the city, it’s clear you fought hard and you worked hard. I know that you love the city so the city’s indebted to you for that,” Councilmember Hudson Hornick said.
Several audience members also spoke about King’s years as mayor and on the council.
“The last time I didn’t get re-elected I spent five years and 26,000 miles with Jeff Bridges, so it’s not always a bad thing when something doesn’t happen,” King said, referring to his role as bodyguard and equipment manager for the Jeff Bridges & The Abiders tour.
After the ceremonial items, council members agreed to appoint a District 4 resident as a replacement for Silva instead of holding a special election, which is costly and time consuming.
Rather than having people complete applications, they decided to have them contact council members to express an interest and for council members to reach out to potential candidates.
City Attorney Greg Murphy said he has seen the process used in another jurisdiction, where the council members suggested potential candidates.
“Even though it sounds a little weird, it’s a completely normal way to do it if you so desire,” Murphy added.
Buellton councilmembers also declined to conduct public interviews but agreed the candidates could make brief statements before the panel chooses the new member.
“I think no matter what application is, one-on-one outreach is going to be critical for any kind of vetting,” Silva said.
Silva said he wanted to avoid a public interview process.
“I think there needs to be pre-conversations and understanding so you have the time to get to know an applicant instead of it being kind of a spelling bee question-and-answer period,” Silva said. “When we’re trying to get people to feel like they want to be involved, that is not a process that is very inviting or comfortable for most so I’d rather avoid if possible.”
Lewis said she wanted new people to bring new voices to the dais, adding applications gives an advantage to those with experience when they might be looking for different qualities.
Interested candidates who are registered voters should email their qualifications and experience to cc@cityofbuellton.com no later than Jan. 3, according to the vacancy notice which also urged applicants call the four members after submitting statements of interest. The announcement includes their phone numbers.
Candidates must live in District 4, which includes the eastern areas of the city including the neighborhoods of Village Townhomes, Thumbelina Village, and Ballard Canyon. The district also encompasses the area west of Highway 101, on the west side of Jonata Park Road and Central Avenue including The Village Square Townhouses, Oakside Lane Townhomes, Central Plaza Condominiums, and Central Gardens Townhomes. A map of the four council districts can be found by clicking here.
