Three qualified candidates for three open seats on the Williams City Council may seem uncomplicated to filling out the dais after Nov. 8, but the popularity of a deceased councilman, whose name remains on the ballot, may result in a situation that requires a vacant seat to be filled only by appointment.
The Williams City Council last week was unanimous in establishing the procedure to fill Sajit Singh’s seat on the council, should he receive sufficient number of votes to edge out Incumbent Alfred Sellers Jr., Kate Dunlap, or Maria Belmontes Leyva, the three other candidates who also want to serve the citizens of the community.
Singh died unexpectedly on Sept. 12 after the Nov. 8 ballot was set for a contested race.
Anticipating the likelihood Singh could still be elected, the Williams City Council, at their Oct. 19 meeting, rejected the legal option of holding a stand-alone city-wide election to fill his vacant seat, which could cost taxpayers about $15,000.
Instead, the council agreed to notify the public of the vacancy, accept applications, hold public interviews, and select a candidate to serve just two years until the Nov. 5, 2024 election.
However, the council, likely at their first meeting in January, could weigh heavily on the fourth candidate in the ballot lineup, despite opening applications to all eligible members of the public.
“You have people who are actually on the ballot and have gone through the process,” Sellers said. “You have four people on the ballot (for three seats) but, unfortunately, one has passed..It’s actually very simple, you’v’e got three seats and you’ve got three people.”
Although not well attended, Williams residents had the opportunity to meet two of the candidates at an open house/candidates forum on Oct. 20, at the education village in Williams.
The event, hosted by the Colusa County Chamber of Commerce, also provide an opportunity for citizens to learn more about Measure A, the proposed one-half cent special sales tax increase to fund ground ambulance services, and Measure C, a one-half cent sales tax increase to boost Williams coffers for street repair, parks and playground equipment, public safety, and recreation programs.
Sellers and Dunlap appeared at the forum in person. Leyva, who was ill, submitted her responses to questions in writing, which Dunlap read.
Sellers has served on the Williams City Council since 2010, when he won his seat as a qualified write-in candidate, and was re-elected twice.
He moved from the Bay Area to Williams in the late 1990s when the population was less than 5,000, and has been active in seeing the city grow in the 12 years he’s been on the council.
Sellers said he would like to continue serving the people of Williams, and is running on the considerable accomplishments of the city council during his tenure, including development of the east side, which brought Dollar General, Grocery Outlet, and Love’s Truck Stop. He’s also helped bring Starbucks and the newly installed Race Communications internet to Williams, and would like to see more businesses, especially if the city is awarded the grant for the complete redesign of E Street, and if Measure C passes, which would bring an additional $750,000 a year into the general fund.
“My main interest is for Williams to continue to show growth, progress,” Sellers said. “A lot of families are coming here; a lot of families are here. We have a lot of foot traffic as well as a lot of car traffic. The whole idea that I would like to see more of is a one-stop shop so people who are here don’t have to travel 40 miles to do some shopping, not that Williams doesn’t have some shopping…By one-stop, I mean everything that people need, you can get it here.”
Dunlap, an agriculture business manager and the former Williams Parks and Recreation director, is running for Williams City Council to help ensure measured, thoughtful, and viable infrastructure and business growth within the city.
“I would like to see a council that is a true voice for the people, where those members who are serving and representing the community are intelligent, insightful, and critical thinkers that can really hone in on the business at hand,” Dunlap said.
Dunlap said she knows and appreciates the important role that agriculture, small businesses, and our community organizations provide in support of the city and its citizens. If elected, she said she would serve to fully support all resources and endeavors that provide and promote the citizens interests for clean drinking water, road improvements, community safety, successful schools, and economic vitality.
“I will endeavor to represent the citizens of Williams to the best of my abilities, and will always support, encourage, and listen to the constituents who have entrusted their faith in me and my abilities,” she said.
Leyva, a realtor, currently serves on the Williams Planning Commission. She has lived in Colusa County for 28 years and is a member of Citizens for a Better Wiliams.
“We all have a calling and mine is to serve,” noted Leyva. “My mother, and most amazing role model, taught me to always do what I can to serve others.”
If elected, Leyva said she wants to promote fiscal accountability and responsibility, be open and transparent, educate herself on agenda topics, and always come prepared to meetings.
“I hope to inspire others in the community to engage, to come to meetings, to bring forth needed changes, and perhaps run for office themselves one day,” Leyva added.
Leyva said her service on the planning commission and 30 years in construction management has given her the skills to serve on the city council.
Had it not been for his untimely death, Singh, who served one term on the city council after receiving the most votes in 2018, would have been a shoe-in to serve a subsequent term. He served as mayor pro-tem in 2022 and would have likely rotated into serving as mayor in 2023.
His service was not forgotten at the forum.
“Sajit Singh, as you will all notice, is on the ballot for this upcoming election,” Dunlap said. “He was a close friend and a colleague of mine. There are a lot of people that could say that about him. He was a wonderful individual, not only a council member but someone who really served those around him day in and day out. I would like to honor his memory and honor the friendship that he and I had with each other by picking up just a small portion of his legacy and of the mantle he left behind as a city council member.”
Colusa County Chamber of Commerce Director Sue Gibbs served as moderator of the forum, which lasted about 90 minutes. ■