An eight-year resident of Guadalupe has been selected to fill a vacancy on the City Council for at least the next nine months.

On Tuesday night, the four remaining council members selected Whitney Furness, who immediately took the oath of office and joined her new colleagues on the dais.

The slot became vacant when Councilwoman Megan Lizalde sent an email Feb. 9 to notify city leaders of her resignation, effective immediately.

That set the stage for the council to solicit letters of interest from candidates after ruling out holding a special election, which can be time-consuming and costly.

On Tuesday night, council members interviewed Furness and two of the other three applicants — Judy Wilson, who has participated in the Guadalupe Business Association, and Richard Akowuah, who has coached football and works as a counselor at the California Men’s Colony. 

The fourth applicant, Courtney Cazenave, said she couldn’t attend the meeting Tuesday because of an emergency. 

After interviewing the candidates, the council members wrestled with their decision before selecting Furness. 

“They’re all good,” Mayor Ariston Julian said.

“Yeah, it’s a pretty tough one here,” Councilman Gilbert Robles said. 

The mayor rattled off a number of significant projects the city’s leaders will face in the coming years, including the grant-funded restoration of the Royal Theater, several major intersection improvement efforts and ongoing development of the Pasadera homes, which also includes land for future businesses. 

“Anybody that serves now, even us here and the new individual, are going to find that there’s going to be a lot of work for us,” Julian said. 

Questions focused on candidates’ knowledge about assorted issues facing the city and its leaders along with familiarity with ongoing matters. 

Furness, who grew up on the Central Coast, works as an administrative assistant for NASA prime contractor a.i. solutions at Vandenberg Space Force Base.

She said Guadalupe’s top priorities include public safety and economic development. 

“I’m so passionate about this place. I think it’s the cutest, best little-kept secret on the Central Coast,” she said, adding that she would like to see increased tourism and more small businesses in the community.

“I’m definitely a champion for small businesses,” she said. “Not turning us into some place that we aren’t but just promoting what we already have and bringing more people here to see what a great place this is.”

Lizalde had served for a little more than a year after being appointed to fill the vacancy created when Anthony “Tony” Ramirez resigned to work toward a higher-education degree outside Santa Barbara County. 

The current term ends in December and is one of two council seats plus the mayor’s that will be up for grabs in November.

If Furness wants to continue serving on the council beyond the nine months, she would have to run for election.

The filing period for candidates opens in mid-July and closes in August.

In other items, the council approved a $100 monthly stipend for members of the Recreation & Parks Commission, starting immediately. 

Additionally, council members along with the two other elected slots of city clerk and city treasurer will see a salary boost for the first time since 1986, with the monthly rate going from $150 to $500, and $750 for the mayor. The council approved the first reading of the ordinance Tuesday and is scheduled to adopt the new rate later this month.

However, those new pay rates for Guadalupe’s elected officials won’t take effect until Jan. 1.