Applications Being Sought for Vacant Cheyenne City Council Seat

Applications are now being accepted for the open Cheyenne City Council seat left vacant after the death of Councilman Jimmy Valdez in September.

Ward I Councilmembers Scott Roybal and Annette Williams are asking residents who are interested in filling the seat in Ward I to submit a resume or letter of interest by Wednesday, October 28.

"We have probably a dozen resumes so far, but I would really like to see a cross-section of our Ward to apply," said Roybal. "There's a lot of diversity on the council, there's everything from attorneys to doctors, and we'd like to see somebody that's willing to put in the time, somebody that's willing to do the work and has a basic grasp or understanding of what we do because there's no learning curve. It's kind of like taking a sip out of a fire house, it's a lot of information presented at you at once."

To be considered for the open seat, the requirements are:

Must be 18 years of age or older.
A registered voter in Laramie County.
A resident of Ward I for at least the past 12 months on the date of approval by the Governing Body.

All names submitted will be checked for eligibility and verified by the City Clerk’s Office. If you are interested in applying, you can submit your resume or letter of interest in three ways:

E-mail: kjones@cheyennecity.org in pdf format only.
Mail: Kris Jones, 2101 O’Neil Ave., City Council Office, Room 115, Cheyenne, WY 82001.
Drop Off: Municipal Building, 2101 O’Neil Ave., City Council Office, Room 115 between the hours of 8 a.m. and 5 p.m.

Following the verification process, those who meet the requirements will be scheduled for an interview with the current Ward I council members.

"Annette and I are going to interview everyone and it's going to be where you walk in, we're going to hand you the questions and then you're going to have to come off the cuff," said Roybal. "At that point Annette and I will whittle it down to a manageable number, maybe three, and then we'll re-interview those and if the two of us can agree on one candidate to push forward then we'll present them to the council. If her and I cannot agree on one candidate then we will both submit a name and whoever gets five votes will be the next council person."

Roybal says they hope to fill the vacancy quickly.

"It's not that we have to hurry, but it's in whoever we pick's favor that we get them in as quick as possible, get their feet wet and get them running," said Roybal.

The person selected will serve the remainder of Valdez’s term which expires in January 2017.

Categories: Cheyenne