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Board weighs options after resignation of member Richard Schaffner; district can change ballot before printing
Summary
Board member Richard Schaffner resigned effective April 21. District staff told the board ballots were still in draft and could be adjusted before printing, allowing voters to choose up to five candidates; members debated whether to preserve past practice of filling vacancies by election or to appoint.
Board President announced the formal resignation of board member Richard Schaffner, effective April 21, and the board discussed how to proceed with the upcoming board election and ballot preparation.
District staff said legal guidance indicated ballots were still in draft and could be amended before printing the next morning, giving the board the option to include the additional seat on the ballot so voters could "vote up to 5." Staff explained that, if the board leaves the ballot as published, it could instead fill the vacancy after the election by board action. The district administrator said the ballots and related public notices could be updated and that the administration would post website notifications and candidate communications if the board chose to change the ballot.
The administrator also reported five candidates had submitted nominating petitions by the deadline: Christine Diaz, Carl Gilpatrick, Kathleen Hand, Catherine (Carrie) [last name unclear in transcript], and Margaret Quinn. Board members debated consistency with past practice; some urged honoring a fully elective process and allowing voters to select the additional candidate, while others emphasized the need to ensure public notice and ballot clarity.
No formal resolution was adopted at the meeting to change the ballot; the board reached consensus to have staff prepare corrected notices and messaging so the district could proceed if the board later affirms the change. Board members said they would follow up at subsequent meetings about how to assign successive terms if multiple winners are elected.
