The Grand Terrace City Council could be appointing a new member next month.
At its Tuesday, March 26, meeting, the council voted 4-0 to reach out to former councilmember Jim Miller to see if he was interested in being appointed to finish the term of Councilmember Sylvia Robles.
After 12 years on the council, Robles stepped down effective March 6, after selling her house and moving to San Clemente. Her term was to have ended in fall, when three seats on the Grand Terrace City Council will be on the Nov. 5 ballot.
On Tuesday, councilmembers expressed a desire to have former councilmember Jim Miller serve the rest of Robles’ term. In July 2010, Miller pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor charge related to voting in favor of the city of Grand Terrace publishing its legal notices in his wife’s weekly newspaper. His record was expunged a year later.
“There is one individual that I think this city owes an apology to,” Mayor Bill Hussey said, referring to Miller. “I would like to see that individual come back here and serve.”
On Wednesday, March 27, Miller’s wife Margie called the council’s desire to give her husband another go-round on the city council a “wonderful gesture” that touched them both. But because of health concerns, she said, he wouldn’t be able to serve.
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The council will interview other potential candidates for the seat at its April 9 meeting and swear in the appointee April 23.
Under state law, the council must appoint a successor by May 5 or hold a special election.
“The city’s size allows us to hold an all-mail election only,” City Clerk Debra Thomas told the council Tuesday. The U.S. Census Bureau estimates that, as of July 1, 2022, the city had 13,109 residents.
According to a city report prepared for the council, a special election would need to be held by either Aug. 27, whether it took place in person or through mail-in ballots. Staff could only “guesstimate” a cost for a special election, according to the report, but estimated it would cost the city between $30,000 to $40,000 to conduct. In contrast, the officials estimate there would be no cost associated with appointing a successor for Robles.
