The District IV Advisory Board will conduct interviews for the interim Wichita City Council seat during a special meeting next week.
Two of the candidates are former city council members and one lost to the outgoing incumbent. The District IV seat in southwest Wichita will open on January 1 after council member Michael O'Donnell resigns on December 31. O'Donnell was elected to the Kansas State Senate in November.
Deputy City Attorney Jay Henkel says the advisory board will submit four names to council members of candidates who successfully passed a petition for the District IV vacancy.
"The names of the four individuals are Joshua Blick, Paul Gray, Stan Reeser and Jeff Blubaugh," says Henkel.
Blick lost against O'Donnell in a previous city council election. Former council member Gray preceded O'Donnell and was term-limited after serving 8 years. Reeser is also a former council member.
Henkel says all four men will be interviewed at the District IV public meeting.
"This will be the best opportunity for members of that district to hear what these individuals have to say on various issues that the DAB members think are important to the district. There will be interviews conducted later by the council members but those will be closed to the public," says Henkel.
The meeting will be held Wednesday, January 2 at Wichita's Lionel Alford Library at 6:30. The advisory board will submit the names for city council members to consider at their January 8 meeting.
A majority council vote will determine who will serve as the interim District IV council member. The seat will be permanently filled in the April 9 general election.
