Draper council appoints Marsha Vaudry to fill Calvin Roberts vacancy after public interview process

Draper City council voted to appoint Marsha Vaudry to the city council seat left vacant by Calvin Roberts, who ran for and was elected to the Utah State House. The appointment fills the remainder of Roberts’ term and follows a public application and interview process.

The city opened an application period and received a large candidate pool — the mayor (name not specified) said about 51 people applied. The council conducted public interviews in a single evening, allotting three minutes per candidate, and then proceeded to a motion. "Councilwoman Johnson made a motion to appoint Marsha Vaudry, and it was seconded by council member Green," the mayor said on the podcast. The council voted to appoint Vaudry. The podcast did not state the numerical vote tally.

City officials emphasized the appointment process was open to the public and governed by the relevant state statute. The mayor described the statute as intentionally vague on process detail and said it grants the council discretion to set an interview and selection procedure. "The statute requires that you have an application period...and that you let them be heard," the mayor said. The city recorder organized the interviews and the mayor said staff ensured the night adhered to the city's usual 3-minute speaking rule.

Officials noted the appointment is for the balance of the departing member's term under statutory limits: appointees may not be appointed for more than two years and must run in the next relevant election to serve the remainder of the term. In this instance, the person appointed will serve until the next election cycle and would need to run to complete the final two years of the vacated term.

City staff and the mayor defended the chosen interview format — an evening of brief public statements — as efficient for a large pool of applicants. Some applicants had sought longer interviews or additional questions, the mayor acknowledged; city leaders said the chosen approach complied with the open-meeting statute and that individual councilmembers made their selections based on the information provided.

The mayor and city manager Mike Barker characterized the applicant pool as accomplished and diverse. Barker said the process was political by nature because elected officials ultimately decide whom to appoint. "At the end of the day, it's really up to the voting members of the council to decide individually what's most important to them," Barker said.

Ending: The city encouraged applicants who were not selected to remain engaged through boards, commissions and volunteer roles, and noted continued opportunities for civic participation.