The City Council voted to appoint Jerry Mathern to fill a vacant council seat until January 1, 2011. The seat was vacated when Linda Meyers resigned in August. Ignoring past protocol and again playing political games, Councilor Donna Schatz, with the backing of Councilors Paul Becker and Dan Winterburn, lobbied for and supported Mathern. Councilor John Dodero’s plea to follow past protocol and appoint the next highest vote getter from the last City Council election was again ignored. Dodero’s argument that David Jesser was “someone who can fill the seat right away…an individual with experience on the Planning Commission who meets the criteria… a person who knows what’s going on,” fell on deaf ears. Ignoring Dodero’s logical argument, a motion to appoint Mathern was approved 4-2. After accepting the nomination, Mathern was then sworn-in by Mayor Garrett before assuming the vacant seat. In the past, Mathern has served on the City Council and Planning Commission.
