The Lafayette City Council decided how to fill their three open seats, two seats for four-year terms and one seat for a two-year term, during a special meeting on Aug. 20. The council opted to appoint the nominated candidates in lieu of holding an election, returning incumbents Jim Cervantes and Stella Wotherspoon to the council, and bringing newcomer Mario DiPrisco into office.

    DiPrisco has been a Lafayette resident since 2008 and has 26 years of experience in investment management. He served as commissioner of the Lafayette Transportation and Circulation Commission, as an alternate trustee of the Contra Costa County Employees’ Retirement Association (CCCERA), was appointed this year by the Contra Costa County Board of Supervisors to help safeguard a $14 billion pension fund, recently served on the Advisory Fire Commission for the Contra Costa County Fire Protection District, is an alumni co-chair of Lafayette Partners in Education, is a board member for the Community Foundation for Lafayette, and is a member of the Lafayette Rotary Club, according to his website (diprisco.org).

    Typically, candidates run for office and are elected by voters during the Nov. 3 General Municipal Election. The deadline for candidates to file nomination papers to run in the election was Aug. 12, and only three individuals were nominated and qualified. Since the number of candidates did not exceed the number of open positions, the council had the option to adopt Resolution 2026-50, which proposed appointing the nominated candidates directly to council. 

    The resolution ensures that appointed candidates will qualify, take office, and serve exactly as if they had been voted for office in a standard municipal election. This option to appoint council in lieu of an election is authorized under California Elections Code Section 10229. The City of Lafayette has historically utilized this procedure during uncontested elections with no tax measures on the ballot, including the 1993, 2014, and 2022 elections.
    
    By canceling the uncontested election, the city will save at least $48,000 in election expenses. This decision does not impact the ability for Lafayette voters to participate in the upcoming General Election on Tuesday, Nov. 3, which includes other important federal, state, regional and local issues. 

    Voter registration and voting for the election are coordinated with Contra Costa County, and more information is available at www.contracostavote.gov. 

    At the meeting, the City Council adopted the resolution with three in favor and one abstention. Cervantes and Wotherspoon were appointed to four-year terms ending in 2030, while DiPrisco was appointed to a two-year term beginning in December and ending in 2028.