Special election it is • Council deadlocked 2-2 in fourth meeting over appointment The four members of the Ceres City Council sat in silence for minutes at a time during Thursday night’s special meeting after they kept hitting a deadlock in appointing someone to the empty seat.
A polarized Ceres City Council was unable to resolve its deep division about who should be appointed to an empty District 1 council seat on Thursday evening, triggering a special election for Council District 1 that may cost taxpayers $40,000.
The special meeting was the council’s fourth time discussing an appointment with the same results of Feb. 2, Feb. 8 and Feb. 22. Thursday’s meeting was timed the day before the March 5 automatic trigger for a special election to fill the council seat left vacant when Channce Condit moved to the Stanislaus County Board of Supervisors on Jan. 5. State law dictates that a vacancy must be filled within 9
Special election likely as council deadlock continues • For a third time, City Council stymied in 2-2 split votes over filling council seat The Ceres City Council met Monday and found themselves deadlocked 2-2 for a third time over who to fill an empty council seat. At the dais are Councilwoman Linda Ryno, Mayor Javier Lopez, Councilman Bret Silveira and Vice Mayor Couper Condit.
The third time was not the charm Monday evening when the Ceres City Council remained deadlocked in 2-2 ties that has stymied the appointment of someone to fill a vacant council seat.
None of the four members had changed their minds and after a lengthy deliberation the matter was put off to a yet a fourth meeting to be held on March 4. With the stalemate likely to not be resolved, the city may be forced to hold a special election to fill the District 1 council seat which could cost taxpayers $40,000 in county elections expense.
County gives update of Youth Assessment Center Pilot project off the ground
Before a recent meeting of the Stanislaus County Board of Supervisors, Chief Probation Officer Mark Ferriera gave a presentation on the county s new Youth Assessment Center, a “one-stop shop” where justice-involved youth can be assessed and receive services all under one roof.
The center was conceived in 1996 and was brought to a pilot program for the 2019-20 and full implementation in the current year.
Meanwhile the California State Senate passed Senate Bill 439 which was signed into law and went into effect on Jan. 1, 2020, it prohibited anyone under the age of 12 from being booked into Juvenile Hall or enter the juvenile justice system unless they were accused of murder or four specified sex offenses. The bill also mandated counties to come up programs to deal with minors under the 12 who committed a crime.
Stanislaus County Board of Supervisors Chairman Vito Chiesa will present the “State of the County” address on Tuesday, March 2. The speech by Chiesa will lead the public Board of Supervisors meeting, with regular business to follow.
Council hopelessly deadlocked in council seat appointment Special election likely with Ryno & Silveira dead-set for Laurie Smith; Condit & Lopez for anybody but The Ceres City Council was at a stalemate Tuesday evening over an appointment to fill Channce Condit s unexpired term. Deadlocked 2-2, the councilmembers did not budge, making it likely that a special election will be called in March. Left to right are Ceres City Manager Tom Westbrook, Councilwoman Linda Ryno, Mayor Javier Lopez, Councilman Bret Silveira and Vice Mayor Couper Condit.
During an awkward and tense special Tuesday evening Feb. 2 meeting, a divided Ceres City Council could not agree on who among four applicants should fill a vacant council seat.