Anchor ads are not supported on this page.

4S Ranch Allied Gardens Alpine Baja Balboa Park Bankers Hill Barrio Logan Bay Ho Bay Park Black Mountain Ranch Blossom Valley Bonita Bonsall Borrego Springs Boulevard Campo Cardiff-by-the-Sea Carlsbad Carmel Mountain Carmel Valley Chollas View Chula Vista City College City Heights Clairemont College Area Coronado CSU San Marcos Cuyamaca College Del Cerro Del Mar Descanso Downtown San Diego Eastlake East Village El Cajon Emerald Hills Encanto Encinitas Escondido Fallbrook Fletcher Hills Golden Hill Grant Hill Grantville Grossmont College Guatay Harbor Island Hillcrest Imperial Beach Imperial Valley Jacumba Jamacha-Lomita Jamul Julian Kearny Mesa Kensington La Jolla Lakeside La Mesa Lemon Grove Leucadia Liberty Station Lincoln Acres Lincoln Park Linda Vista Little Italy Logan Heights Mesa College Midway District MiraCosta College Miramar Miramar College Mira Mesa Mission Beach Mission Hills Mission Valley Mountain View Mount Hope Mount Laguna National City Nestor Normal Heights North Park Oak Park Ocean Beach Oceanside Old Town Otay Mesa Pacific Beach Pala Palomar College Palomar Mountain Paradise Hills Pauma Valley Pine Valley Point Loma Point Loma Nazarene Potrero Poway Rainbow Ramona Rancho Bernardo Rancho Penasquitos Rancho San Diego Rancho Santa Fe Rolando San Carlos San Marcos San Onofre Santa Ysabel Santee San Ysidro Scripps Ranch SDSU Serra Mesa Shelltown Shelter Island Sherman Heights Skyline Solana Beach Sorrento Valley Southcrest South Park Southwestern College Spring Valley Stockton Talmadge Temecula Tierrasanta Tijuana UCSD University City University Heights USD Valencia Park Valley Center Vista Warner Springs

Poway’s Final Four

Poway mayor Don Higginson promised May 19 would be an interesting night: the city’s four sitting councilmembers were scheduled to appoint a candidate to fill the vacant council seat left after mayor Mickey Cafagna lost his bout with cancer last month.

The most interesting part was watching the council try to meet the stringent timeline set forward in the agenda.

Within a few hours, the council was expected to interview the remaining nine candidates for 12 minutes each, deliberate on the interviews, and then come to a consensus on one candidate.

Some questions they asked the candidates: what was their biggest civic accomplishment; where they stand on affordable housing, employee pensions, and labor unions; what methods would they use to resolve issues during city council meetings.

As for the nine applicants, their backgrounds varied. There was a nicely dressed former banker who previously served as the city’s mayor; a retired Marine determined to help right the city’s financial ship; a former assistant city manager of Poway who touted his knowledge of how the city works; a doctor who offered her skills at diagnosis and treatment of problems; a human resource manager for Hewlett Packard who promised top-notch mediation skills; and a senior project consultant for San Diego Gas and Electric whose first line of her résumé read, “I love Poway. It’s that simple.”

Sponsored
Sponsored

After each applicant had been interviewed, the council took a quick break, called the session back to order, and deliberated on which candidate was best suited to fill the empty seat.

Mayor Higginson asked his colleagues to nominate two candidates, in hopes of finding a consensus. He joked, “I feel like I’m on Dancing with the Stars or American Idol.”

Then, councilmembers began to list the criteria they were looking for in the new councilmember.

Longtime city councilmember Betty Rexford wanted someone that would be ready to “hit the ground running,” already experienced, and aware of the city’s issues. She chose former assistant city manager John Fitch and former Poway mayor Carl Kruse.

Councilmember Jim Cunningham picked two candidates who would symbolize a forward step in city politics, people able to provide a new outlook on old issues. He nominated the Harvard-educated doctor, Alexandra Page, and Sabrina Butler, the senior project consultant and lover of all things Poway.

Mayor Higginson chose former assistant city manager John Fitch and political newcomer Alexandra Page. Councilwoman Merrilee Boyack chose former mayor and retired banker Carl Kruse and Sabrina Butler.

After nearly an hour of deliberation (well past the time allotted on the agenda) and four different motions all ending in stalemate, the city council was at an impasse.

With no resolution in sight and with further items on the agenda, the council decided to postpone the announcement and hold a second round of interviews with four final candidates. Those candidates were: Carl Kruse, John Fitch, Alexandra Page, and Sabrina Butler.

Outside, after the ruling, Poway residents were heard chattering.

“Sometimes, you just have to make a decision,” one woman said.

For more on the candidates, go to ci.poway.ca.us or attend the second round of interviews at the special meeting on Tuesday, May 26, in council chambers at 7p.m.

The latest copy of the Reader

Please enjoy this clickable Reader flipbook. Linked text and ads are flash-highlighted in blue for your convenience. To enhance your viewing, please open full screen mode by clicking the icon on the far right of the black flipbook toolbar.

Here's something you might be interested in.
Submit a free classified
or view all
Previous article

The Fellini of Clairemont High

When gang showers were standard for gym class

Poway mayor Don Higginson promised May 19 would be an interesting night: the city’s four sitting councilmembers were scheduled to appoint a candidate to fill the vacant council seat left after mayor Mickey Cafagna lost his bout with cancer last month.

The most interesting part was watching the council try to meet the stringent timeline set forward in the agenda.

Within a few hours, the council was expected to interview the remaining nine candidates for 12 minutes each, deliberate on the interviews, and then come to a consensus on one candidate.

Some questions they asked the candidates: what was their biggest civic accomplishment; where they stand on affordable housing, employee pensions, and labor unions; what methods would they use to resolve issues during city council meetings.

As for the nine applicants, their backgrounds varied. There was a nicely dressed former banker who previously served as the city’s mayor; a retired Marine determined to help right the city’s financial ship; a former assistant city manager of Poway who touted his knowledge of how the city works; a doctor who offered her skills at diagnosis and treatment of problems; a human resource manager for Hewlett Packard who promised top-notch mediation skills; and a senior project consultant for San Diego Gas and Electric whose first line of her résumé read, “I love Poway. It’s that simple.”

Sponsored
Sponsored

After each applicant had been interviewed, the council took a quick break, called the session back to order, and deliberated on which candidate was best suited to fill the empty seat.

Mayor Higginson asked his colleagues to nominate two candidates, in hopes of finding a consensus. He joked, “I feel like I’m on Dancing with the Stars or American Idol.”

Then, councilmembers began to list the criteria they were looking for in the new councilmember.

Longtime city councilmember Betty Rexford wanted someone that would be ready to “hit the ground running,” already experienced, and aware of the city’s issues. She chose former assistant city manager John Fitch and former Poway mayor Carl Kruse.

Councilmember Jim Cunningham picked two candidates who would symbolize a forward step in city politics, people able to provide a new outlook on old issues. He nominated the Harvard-educated doctor, Alexandra Page, and Sabrina Butler, the senior project consultant and lover of all things Poway.

Mayor Higginson chose former assistant city manager John Fitch and political newcomer Alexandra Page. Councilwoman Merrilee Boyack chose former mayor and retired banker Carl Kruse and Sabrina Butler.

After nearly an hour of deliberation (well past the time allotted on the agenda) and four different motions all ending in stalemate, the city council was at an impasse.

With no resolution in sight and with further items on the agenda, the council decided to postpone the announcement and hold a second round of interviews with four final candidates. Those candidates were: Carl Kruse, John Fitch, Alexandra Page, and Sabrina Butler.

Outside, after the ruling, Poway residents were heard chattering.

“Sometimes, you just have to make a decision,” one woman said.

For more on the candidates, go to ci.poway.ca.us or attend the second round of interviews at the special meeting on Tuesday, May 26, in council chambers at 7p.m.

Comments
Sponsored

The latest copy of the Reader

Please enjoy this clickable Reader flipbook. Linked text and ads are flash-highlighted in blue for your convenience. To enhance your viewing, please open full screen mode by clicking the icon on the far right of the black flipbook toolbar.

Here's something you might be interested in.
Submit a free classified
or view all
Previous article

Haunted Trail of Balboa Park, ZZ Top, Gem Diego Show

Events October 31-November 2, 2024
Next Article

Why did Harrah's VP commit suicide last summer?

Did the fight the Rincon casino had with San Diego County over Covid play a part?
Comments
Ask a Hipster — Advice you didn't know you needed Big Screen — Movie commentary Blurt — Music's inside track Booze News — San Diego spirits Classical Music — Immortal beauty Classifieds — Free and easy Cover Stories — Front-page features Drinks All Around — Bartenders' drink recipes Excerpts — Literary and spiritual excerpts Feast! — Food & drink reviews Feature Stories — Local news & stories Fishing Report — What’s getting hooked from ship and shore From the Archives — Spotlight on the past Golden Dreams — Talk of the town The Gonzo Report — Making the musical scene, or at least reporting from it Letters — Our inbox Movies@Home — Local movie buffs share favorites Movie Reviews — Our critics' picks and pans Musician Interviews — Up close with local artists Neighborhood News from Stringers — Hyperlocal news News Ticker — News & politics Obermeyer — San Diego politics illustrated Outdoors — Weekly changes in flora and fauna Overheard in San Diego — Eavesdropping illustrated Poetry — The old and the new Reader Travel — Travel section built by travelers Reading — The hunt for intellectuals Roam-O-Rama — SoCal's best hiking/biking trails San Diego Beer — Inside San Diego suds SD on the QT — Almost factual news Sheep and Goats — Places of worship Special Issues — The best of Street Style — San Diego streets have style Surf Diego — Real stories from those braving the waves Theater — On stage in San Diego this week Tin Fork — Silver spoon alternative Under the Radar — Matt Potter's undercover work Unforgettable — Long-ago San Diego Unreal Estate — San Diego's priciest pads Your Week — Daily event picks
4S Ranch Allied Gardens Alpine Baja Balboa Park Bankers Hill Barrio Logan Bay Ho Bay Park Black Mountain Ranch Blossom Valley Bonita Bonsall Borrego Springs Boulevard Campo Cardiff-by-the-Sea Carlsbad Carmel Mountain Carmel Valley Chollas View Chula Vista City College City Heights Clairemont College Area Coronado CSU San Marcos Cuyamaca College Del Cerro Del Mar Descanso Downtown San Diego Eastlake East Village El Cajon Emerald Hills Encanto Encinitas Escondido Fallbrook Fletcher Hills Golden Hill Grant Hill Grantville Grossmont College Guatay Harbor Island Hillcrest Imperial Beach Imperial Valley Jacumba Jamacha-Lomita Jamul Julian Kearny Mesa Kensington La Jolla Lakeside La Mesa Lemon Grove Leucadia Liberty Station Lincoln Acres Lincoln Park Linda Vista Little Italy Logan Heights Mesa College Midway District MiraCosta College Miramar Miramar College Mira Mesa Mission Beach Mission Hills Mission Valley Mountain View Mount Hope Mount Laguna National City Nestor Normal Heights North Park Oak Park Ocean Beach Oceanside Old Town Otay Mesa Pacific Beach Pala Palomar College Palomar Mountain Paradise Hills Pauma Valley Pine Valley Point Loma Point Loma Nazarene Potrero Poway Rainbow Ramona Rancho Bernardo Rancho Penasquitos Rancho San Diego Rancho Santa Fe Rolando San Carlos San Marcos San Onofre Santa Ysabel Santee San Ysidro Scripps Ranch SDSU Serra Mesa Shelltown Shelter Island Sherman Heights Skyline Solana Beach Sorrento Valley Southcrest South Park Southwestern College Spring Valley Stockton Talmadge Temecula Tierrasanta Tijuana UCSD University City University Heights USD Valencia Park Valley Center Vista Warner Springs
Close

Anchor ads are not supported on this page.

This Week’s Reader This Week’s Reader