San Ramon council appoints Richard Adler to fill District 2 vacancy after four interviews and public comment

Mayor Mark Armstrong and the San Ramon City Council appointed Richard Adler to the District 2 seat on a 3-1 vote Friday after interviewing four finalists and hearing public comment about how the city fills council vacancies.

The council opened the meeting by taking public comment before the candidate interviews. Three speakers addressed the council and the city clerk reported 76 written comments had been submitted. Susie Ferris Inderkum, one of the public speakers, urged the council to adopt written policies and reserve funds so a special election, rather than an appointment, would be possible: “The general fund reserve policy be modified to set aside funds for a special election … written policy documentation be generated for both a special election process and an appointment process,” she said.

Why it matters: The council must fill the November vacancy created when a council member was elected mayor. The appointment determines who represents District 2 until the next election and touches on broader community concerns about transparency, whether “safe seat”…