Auburn council selects seven finalists for vacancy interviews, sets format and schedule

The Auburn City Council voted Monday to invite seven applicants to public interviews for the vacant council seat, setting the interviews for 5 p.m. next Monday and fixing a 25‑minute time allotment for each candidate.

Mayor Nancy Backus told the council that 45 applications were received and that staff and council narrowed the pool after a redaction and review process. "There were 45 applications that came in. I believe 44 of those were from eligible, meaning living within the city limits of Auburn," Backus said, describing the procedure used to produce the council's short list.

The council met in executive session under state law to evaluate the qualifications of applicants, then returned to the public meeting to choose which applicants to interview. Council members debated how many finalists to interview; an initial motion to interview six candidates was amended and finally replaced by a motion to interview seven. That amendment passed 4–2. The council then recessed briefly to tally selections.

Council members identified seven applicant numbers that will be invited to interview next Monday: 21, 29, 32, 35, 38, 41 and 45. Each council member will have seven votes to cast during the selection vote next week; the city clerk will notify finalists of interview details. Backus said the interviews will be public and encouraged candidates to remain outside chambers during other candidates' interviews as a courtesy: "We do encourage that if you are a candidate, you do not stay in council chambers while another candidate is being interviewed. That is a courtesy," she said.

Council also set specific timing and format for the interviews. The council agreed to a 25‑minute interview slot per candidate with a 5‑minute opening for the applicant and the remainder reserved for the council's predetermined questions and limited follow-ups. Under the council rules of procedure, each council member will read the same predetermined question; each candidate will have two minutes to answer each council question.

Clerk Sean Campbell and the city attorney will coordinate scheduling, notification and any packet materials the council requests before the interviews. The council will begin interviews at 5 p.m. on Monday and expects the meeting to run into the evening. The council instructed staff to provide finalists with the format and to publish the interview agenda in advance.

The selection process on Monday follows state open‑meeting rules for appointments: the council reviewed redacted applications, compiled member recommendations into a short list, and then used a public vote on the council floor to determine finalists for interviews.

The council's selections and the interview format set the next step in filling the unexpired seat; the appointed finalist (or another selected through the subsequent process) would serve until the next scheduled election, subject to filing and election rules.