City Hall is on the hunt for a new council member in Tucson's Ward 6 after Steve Kozachik stepped down to join Pima County's ranks. The Mayor and Council kicked off their search on March 19, a race against the clock to find a suitable replacement. According to City Attorney Mike Rankin, captured in a statement by Tucson's official website, the chosen one has to be a seasoned voter, cozy in the city's confines for three years and in Ward 6 for at least one.
Though searching high and low for a new face, party lines matter as the Mayor and Council assured, aiming to keep the seat a Democrat's game. The departed Kozachik wore the blue badge, and the voters' will was clear, so the Council's not planning to quickly swerve into unknown political lanes. The call for interested parties is out until April 15, when the midnight bell tolls. Hopefuls have to pitch in with their name, address, and a nod or shake of the head on whether they'll run in the next race.
Applications must be either mailed or dropped off at the City Clerk’s Office or flicked over via email to [email protected]. The plan is to sift through the stack, pick out the four front-runners, and have a chinwag about their passion for public service at a special end-of-April meet.
The magnifying glass will be put to the letters of interest and resumes, with the Mayor and Council pledged to act "expediently," as Rankin explained, yet with no strict timeline etched in stone. It's a decision of weight, to fill a vacancy that was left behind without a trace on the dais. The residents of Ward 6 await to see who will step up, and who will be deemed ready to shoulder the mantle of civic duty.
