Lacey City Council seeks Position 3 replacement, reviews selection process 

The Lacey City Council has opened the application window for the vacant Position 3 seat, beginning a selection process that must lead to an appointment by Nov. 15 if the council wants to retain authority over the choice. 

The vacancy opened after the council accepted the resignation of Nicolas Martinez-Dunning on Aug. 18. Applications for his Position 3 seat are due by 5 p.m. on Sept. 18. 

Council members mapped out the recruitment, applicant review and interview process during a meeting on Aug. 18. 

State law gives the remaining council members 90 days after a vacancy occurs to appoint a qualified replacement. If they fail to do so, appointment authority passes to the Thurston County Board of County Commissioners.  

If county commissioners do not appoint a qualified person within 180 days of the vacancy, they or the remaining Lacey council members may petition Gov. Bob Ferguson to make the appointment.

Candidate interviews and selection must occur in public pursuant to the Open Public Meetings Act. Applicant qualifications, however, may be discussed in executive session. 

City Manager Rick Walk said it was key for the council to maintain control over the process.

“We want to make sure too that we show that transparency to the public because this is again an important appointment process,” Walk said. “We don’t want to have the other jurisdictional bodies making that decision for you.” 

Applications open 

Applicants must have lived within Lacey city limits for at least one year before an appointment and be registered voters within the jurisdiction they seek to represent. State requirements also include U.S. citizenship, a minimum age of 18 and no current incarceration for a felony. 

The person selected must commit time to preparing for and attending council meetings, completing council assignments and participating in community activities. 

Applicants will explain their interest in the seat, relevant education and work experience, special skills, their vision for Lacey and three council priorities for 2026-27. 

One proposed question did not make the final list discussed by the council. Members agreed on Aug. 18 to remove a question asking applicants to identify gaps in diversity of representation. 

Council member Lenny Greenstein questioned its inclusion, saying diversity is ultimately a decision for the voters who elect the council, not for the council itself. 

Mayor Andy Ryder acknowledged he originally proposed the question, modeled on one he has used in interviews for city boards and commissions.

Walk said the intent behind it was to account for differences in background, experience and perspective, similar to how the city has approached advisory board appointments in the past. 

Another question asks whether applicants are interested in seeking Position 3 in the November 2027 election. 

Council member Ryan Siu said it could discourage qualified applicants who have not yet decided about a campaign. Members retained the question, but agreed to state the response does not commit an applicant to running. 

Position 3 goes before voters on Nov. 2, 2027. State law says the election winner assumes office after certification and serves the remainder of the unexpired term. 

Public interviews 

Council members are scheduled to begin reviewing applications on Sept. 22 and could choose interview candidates on Oct. 6. 

In-person interviews are planned between Oct. 7 and Oct. 29 at the Lacey City Hall, Council Chambers and will be open to the public. 

Council members also discussed using an executive session to examine qualifications before returning to a public meeting for deliberations and voting. 

Ryder favored the option, saying previous appointment processes became confusing when the council proceeded from interviews into voting without first discussing candidate qualifications. He said discussion could help council members identify the qualifications they value before nominations begin. 

Walk noted an executive session can address qualifications only. Candidate interviews, council deliberations and the appointment vote will remain public.