Hemet council appoints Connie Clark to fill District 1 vacancy after rejecting special election

Hemet — The Hemet City Council appointed Connie Clark on May 8, 2025, to fill the District 1 city council vacancy, voting 5-0 after interviewing seven qualified applicants. Earlier in the meeting the council voted down a motion to call a special election to fill the seat, 4-1.

The decision followed public comments urging an election and questioning one applicant’s outside affiliations. City staff told the council it received seven qualified applications during an April 23–May 6 solicitation and that the registrar of voters quoted about $34,000 to hold a consolidated special election; staff also read a provision of state law that clarified how long an appointee would serve if appointed now and explained related election-certification dates.

Why it matters: District 1 residents will be represented immediately by an appointee instead of waiting for a special election. Council members debated trade-offs between immediate representation and giving voters the chance to choose the seatholder, and legal deadlines and election-timing rules factored into the discussion.

Public comment and conflict-of-interest concern Two members of the public urged the council to hold a special election instead of appointing a replacement. Connie Coronado said the council should "let the voters of District 1 choose their representative" and voiced concern about applicant Lori Van Arsdale’s affiliation with Hemet Rising, calling that a potential conflict of interest. Jenny Hess urged a transparent applicant-review process and suggested town-hall style engagement or panel interviews.

Staff report and legal timing City Clerk (read into record) reported that former Council Member Carol Kendrick submitted a resignation effective May 9, 2025, and that the council’s protocols (Section 7.4) governed the appointment process. The clerk said the council has 60 days from May 8, 2025, to decide whether to appoint or call a special election and noted a deadline window in the elections code; staff said it had contacted the registrar of voters, who quoted approximately $34,000 for a consolidated District 1 special election and identified Nov. 5, 2025, as an available consolidated date. The clerk also read a government-code provision explaining that, if appointed, the person "shall hold office until the next general municipal election" and described the certification timeline the clerk said would place the appointed term continuing until results are certified at the Dec. 14, 2026 meeting.

Council discussion and failed election motion Mayor Pro Tem Carol Kendrick moved, with a second from Council Member Mayles, to call a special election this November (the motion referred to the registrar’s consolidation date). Council members asked whether commenters were District 1 residents and whether an earlier city-only election (not consolidated) was possible; staff said the registrar provided the quoted date and cost and that state law sets minimum timelines. The council then took a roll-call vote on the motion to call a special election: Council Member Kroupa voted No; Council Member Lodge voted No; Council Member Mills voted No; Mayor Pro Tem Kendrick voted Yes; Mayor Peterson voted No. The motion failed, 4-1.

Interviews and selection process The council proceeded with interviews of the seven qualified candidates that the clerk listed: Robert Galletta, Paul Gray, Dana Hill, Connie Clark, Norm Kyres, Carlos Mitchell, and Lori Van Arsdale. Candidates were sequestered and asked the same set of questions as recommended by staff. After interviews, the council used a written "top two" ranking method (each council member listed their top two candidates). The city clerk tabulated the results: Connie Clark received three votes; Robert Galletta, Dana Hill and Lori Van Arsdale each received two votes in the tabulation.

Appointment and oath Mayor Pro Tem Kendrick moved to appoint Connie Clark; Council Member Lodge seconded. Roll call on the appointment recorded all five council members voting Yes, and the motion to appoint Clark passed 5-0. The council administered the oath of office to Connie Clark later in the meeting.

What the council recorded about next steps and timing City staff recorded that the council needed to act within the statutory windows noted in the clerk’s report and that the registrar had provided a cost estimate of about $34,000 for a consolidated special election. Staff also read the government-code language the clerk said determines how long an appointee serves and the certification date sequence; the clerk’s readback placed the next general municipal election on Nov. 3, 2026 and certification of results on Dec. 14, 2026 if an appointment is made now.

Votes at a glance - Motion to call a special election (mover: Mayor Pro Tem Carol Kendrick; second: Council Member Mayles): Failed, 1 Yes (Kendrick), 4 No (Kroupa, Lodge, Mills, Mayor Peterson). - Motion to appoint Connie Clark to fill the District 1 vacancy (mover: Mayor Pro Tem Carol Kendrick; second: Council Member Lodge): Passed, 5 Yes (Kroupa, Lodge, Mills, Kendrick, Mayor Peterson) — Connie Clark was sworn in.

The meeting concluded with the council member oath for Connie Clark and a short recess before a closed session. The clerk’s report, the public comments raising conflict-of-interest concerns about an applicant, the registrar cost estimate and the statutory timelines were the principal items the council cited in reaching its decision.