Issaquah council appoints Kelly Jang to fill Position 6 after tied rounds and mayor—s tiebreak

The Issaquah City Council on Feb. 10 appointed Kelly Jang to fill the council—s Position 6 vacancy after several rounds of nominations and tied votes that ended when Mayor Pauli broke the deadlock.

The seat was open following the council—s vacancy process; the council had accepted applications through Jan. 25 and advanced seven qualified applicants after presentations on Feb. 3. At the Feb. 10 special meeting the council first narrowed that pool, then interviewed finalists and held closed executive sessions to discuss qualifications under the statute cited by staff ("RCW 42.3 0.11 per n 1 per n h"), before holding nominations and public votes.

Why it matters: The appointment fills a seat the council must fill within 90 days and adds a new vote to a seven-member body shaping city policy on housing, environmental stewardship and public services.

Council procedure and timeline The council began the evening by explaining the vacancy process and the schedule for candidate questions and executive session. The city clerk said the city had accepted applications through…