Olympia council approves interview slate and ranked-choice process to fill vacant Seat 5

At its Jan. 7 regular meeting, the Olympia City Council voted unanimously to approve an eight-person interview slate and a ranked-choice voting process to select an appointee for the council’s vacant Seat 5.

The vacancy was created when former Council Member Lisa Parsley won election to the Washington State House of Representatives and left the council effective Dec. 31, 2024. Kelly Persbreth, the city’s strategic communications director, told the council staff had received 24 applications by the Dec. 13 deadline; two applicants were removed for not meeting the state residency requirement, leaving 22 eligible applicants for consideration.

The council decided to invite the top eight candidates from the compiled rankings to interview on Monday, Jan. 13, at 6 p.m. Interviews will be split into two panels of four candidates each. Mayor Pro Tem Nguyen moved to approve the interview process and slate; the motion passed unanimously. Mayor Payne said she was pleased by the number and quality of applicants and singled out applicants’ frequent focus on education and school-related concerns.

Why it matters: The council must fill Seat 5 to restore the council’s full membership and to ensure representation for the ward or constituency associated with that seat. The chosen appointee will take office after the council’s public deliberation and announcement following the interview and selection process.

Key details - Vacancy origin: Lisa Parsley elected to Washington State House; Seat 5 open as of Dec. 31, 2024. - Applications: 24 submitted; 22 met residency requirements; deadline Dec. 13, 2024. - Interview slate (approved): Kelly Green; Jennifer Reedmeier; Daniel Garcia; Bridget Valdez Cogel; Isaac Wagnets; Tanzania's and Zali Marshall; Zachary Lynch; Timothy Leadingham (names taken from council motion as read into the record). - Interview format: Two panels of four candidates each; candidates in the second panel will wait in a holding room while the first panel interviews to avoid them observing interviews in real time. - Selection method: Ranked-choice voting, with ranked-choice used in advance as the tie-breaking method; the council agreed ranked-choice would be applied per the subcommittee recommendation and would be used to produce a final appointee. - Logistics: Interviews will be held in council chambers on Jan. 13 at 6 p.m.; the city manager and city attorney recommended allowing candidates the option to remain in the room or retire to another room during deliberations so the public process is preserved and candidates are not inadvertently excluded.

What council members said Kelly Persbreth, the city’s strategic communications director, reminded the council that “your deliberations and your decision making must take place in an open public meeting like this,” and noted the subcommittee’s prior work to establish the timeline, evaluation matrix and draft interview questions.

Mayor Pro Tem Nguyen formally moved to adopt the interview process and slate; the motion was seconded and carried unanimously. Mayor Payne praised the applicant pool, saying she was "very pleased to see that we had this many people that were interested in the vacant seat." Several council members also emphasized that, because applicants vary in background, some not selected for interview might be well-suited to serve on advisory boards and commissions.

Next steps and follow-up The council will conduct interviews on Jan. 13, split into the two panels approved Jan. 7. After interviews, the council will use ranked-choice voting to select an appointee; if there is an exact tie after applying the ranked-choice procedure, council members discussed conducting additional questioning or entering executive session to deliberate further before voting. The council will publicly announce the appointment after completing the appointed process.