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Astoria council sets STAR voting, candidate questions and public‑comment rules for Ward 4 appointment
Summary
Astoria’s City Council agreed on four candidate questions, selected STAR voting to narrow finalists and set a 45‑minute, two‑minutes‑per‑speaker public‑comment format that prioritizes Ward 4 residents for the Dec. 1 appointment to the vacant Ward 4 seat.
The Astoria City Council on Monday approved a process for filling a vacant Ward 4 seat that uses STAR voting to narrow finalists and reserves the council’s option to nominate and confirm the top finalists at the Dec. 1 meeting.
Council members agreed that each councilor would provide one question for candidate interviews; the four questions finalized include candidates’ view of a councilor’s role and decision‑making, what has changed in the candidate’s life since the 2024 filing period that motivated them to apply, how they would prioritize and respond to downtown camping/enforcement and neighborhood tourism/traffic issues, and the time commitment they understand is required to serve. Staff will distribute the questions to applicants in advance of the Dec. 1 interviews.
Council President Adams said the process will begin with interviews and an initial STAR ballot from each councilor. Under STAR voting, councilors score candidates; the scores are aggregated to identify the highest‑scoring finalists, after which the council will have a deliberative nomination and confirmation step for the finalists. Councilor Davis and other members argued the layered process gives staff flexibility to present finalists while preserving the council’s ability to discuss and confirm a nominee.
On public participation, the council directed staff to reserve a 45‑minute public‑comment window on Dec. 1 with two minutes per speaker, prioritizing Ward 4 residents first, then Ward 4 business owners and finally other members of the public. Staff will use a sign‑up sheet that records a speaker’s preferred candidate so council can gauge in‑room support, and the council asked that written comments and emails be forwarded to staff for inclusion in the public record.
The council also discussed tie‑breaker options if STAR voting yields an exact tie. Members agreed to try additional discussion and revote before resorting to a last‑resort method such as a coin toss; Mayor Fitzpatrick asked the council to ensure any final process leaves members comfortable with the outcome.
The council’s direction sets the administrative and procedural steps the city will follow on Dec. 1. Staff said they will format the questions and ballot materials and circulate them to candidates following the November 19 public open house.
