The Capitola City Council agreed to proceed with an appointment to fill the council seat vacated by Mayor Yvette Brooks and directed staff to agendize the appointment at a special meeting on Jan. 16. Council members said they will consider the highest vote-getters from the November election — specifically Margot Morgan and Enrique Domo — and interview them at the Jan. 16 meeting before making the appointment to serve the remainder of the term through December 2026.

City staff told the council the legal options are defined in California Government Code section 36512: the council may call a special election or appoint a successor. Staff provided a county estimate that a special election would cost roughly $49,189 to $56,216, based on $7–$8 per registered voter and the city’s roughly 7,000 registered voters. The council noted a special election would also take longer and chose to pursue appointment with a transparent interview process.

Under the appointment route staff said the council must fill the vacancy within 60 days of the vacancy (the staff memo identified March 13 as the statutory deadline for this vacancy) and any appointee would serve the remainder of former Mayor Brooks’ term through December 2026. Staff advised that appointments require a majority vote of the council.

Public comment on the item urged both expediency and transparency. Barry Scott urged the council to appoint Margot Morgan, who finished behind the most recent winners, citing Morgan’s prior council experience. Several speakers asked that the council create an open, documented process — accept applications, hold interviews and publish questions — so the community sees how the selection is made.

Council members discussed options and agreed on a hybrid approach: the council will prioritize the top vote-getters from the recent election while also allowing limited application input and conducting public interviews. Staff and the city attorney will assemble and vet a short list of interview questions for the Jan. 16 meeting; each councilmember was asked to submit suggested questions to staff for consolidation.

A motion to consider and appoint a councilmember from the candidates from the most recent election and to schedule the special meeting on Jan. 16 passed on an affirmative council vote. Staff said they will prepare the formal agenda item for Jan. 16, coordinate with the city attorney to vet interview questions and arrange the swearing-in if the council makes an appointment at that meeting.

The appointee, if selected by council, must meet the same requirements as an elected council member: be at least 18 years of age, a resident of Capitola and a registered voter in the city. The choice to appoint rather than hold a special election preserves the city’s budgeted funds and allows the council to fill the seat quickly so work on council priorities can continue.