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Crescent City Council votes to appoint replacement for vacant seat; Isaiah Wright named mayor
Summary
Following Council member Dooley’s resignation, the council voted to fill the vacancy by appointment and set an application/interview timeline; the council also nominated Isaiah Wright as the next mayor and elected Candace Tinkler as mayor pro tem.
After Council member Dooley resigned, City Attorney Rice briefed the council on three legally permissible routes: (1) appoint a person to fill the seat until Nov. 2026, (2) hold a special election (mail ballot in spring or in-person in November) or (3) leave the seat vacant until the regular election. Rice said a standalone special election would cost roughly $33,000–$40,000 per the staff estimate.
Councilors debated costs, continuity and representation during public comment. Resident Sam Strait urged waiting for the regular election; other councilors cited operational risk with a smaller membership and the impracticality of leaving a seat vacant. The council voted to fill the seat by appointment and directed staff to advertise an application period, hold interviews in December and bring an appointment before the council in mid-December.
Separately, the council conducted nominations for leadership. Mayor Pro Tem Isaiah Wright was nominated and accepted the mayoral nomination; the council voted in favor and Wright will become mayor after the meeting. Council member Candace Tinkler was nominated and elected mayor pro tem. Mayor Altman said he would remain mayor through the end of the meeting to ensure a smooth transition.
What’s next: Staff will publish an application for the vacant council seat, accept applications for approximately four weeks, conduct interviews and return with a recommendation for appointment. The appointed member would serve until the November 2026 election.
