The Cedar Park City Council on Thursday declared a vacancy for Council Place 6 after the council received a written resignation and moved to use the application and interview process previously used in 2022 to fill the seat by appointment.

City staff presented a proposed calendar and packet materials for the appointment process and told the council the application period would open on Monday the 3rd, run for 10 business days and close on Monday, Nov. 17, with interviews and the appointment scheduled for the regular council meeting on Thursday, Nov. 20. Staff said applications and applicant names would not appear in the Nov. 20 meeting packet because the filing period closes after packet deadlines.

The council’s motion to declare the vacancy cited city charter section 3.06. After discussion about the charter’s language on resignation effective dates, the council recorded the action as a 6-0 vote to declare the vacancy. The motion to adopt the 2022 application and interview process — which includes background checks and a requirement to file a personal financial statement (PFS) with certain materials — was made and seconded; the transcript records the motion and second but does not include a roll-call tally for that second motion in the provided transcript.

Resident David Dasher raised a legal concern during public comment, saying the charter’s provision in section 3.06 prevents changing the appointment procedure within 90 days of a vacancy. City staff and the city attorney advised that the council may not be contemplating changes to the rules of procedure and that repeating the 2022 process satisfies the charter’s 90-day constraint.

A member of the public, Nicole Heisel, asked how much time remained on the vacated term and when the seat would be up for election. City staff replied that an appointee would serve until May 2, 2026, and would not be eligible to run for that seat until May 2027; staff noted a runoff in the regular election cycle could extend service into June if applicable.

The council also directed staff to include background checks as part of the vacancy appointment materials and confirmed that personal financial disclosures would be required and treated according to state law. With procedural matters settled and the timeline posted, the council moved on to other business and adjourned.