Cypress City Council opts to fill vacancy by appointment
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Citing time and cost savings, the Cypress City Council plans to appoint a new councilmember next month to fill a vacancy instead of calling a special election.
The move comes after former Councilmember Scott Minikus’s surprise resignation Oct. 1 to accept an out-of-state job offer.
Faced with a 60-day timetable to decide which path to take, councilmembers expressed a preference for a special election but were too concerned about $1 million in potential costs.
“That’s a lot of money being spent,” said Councilmember Kyle Chang. “That’s a lot of effort that the city has to go through just to have somebody on the [council] for just a few months.”
Councilmember Scott Minikus announced his retirement during the Sept. 22 Cypress City Council meeting. His departure follows the exits of Cypress’ city manager and city clerk.
A special election, if held, would have been scheduled for April 14, with the winning candidate only having a few months to decide whether to run for the seat again the following November.
The scenario gave other councilmembers pause, especially as the open seat would remain vacant until the election.
“It’s seven months [away], and we can’t or shouldn’t go that long without having the seat filled,” said Councilmember Leo Medrano. “Sitting at four [councilmembers], there’s a possibility … we find ourselves not being able to move forward. Even though I would like an election, I think it would not be a wise use of funds.”
Resident Paul Kokkinos called appointment the prudent path.
“That’s the fiscally responsible way to go,” he said during public comments. “Put everything else aside and choose a candidate that’s best for the city of Cypress, as opposed to some blatant act of cronyism, as happened in the past.”
Despite the acrimonious political climate that has gripped Cypress for the past few months over its former city manager, all four councilmembers found common ground in eschewing a special election.
“I’m with everybody else,” said Councilmember Bonnie Peat. “It just doesn’t make sense to do it.”
Since Minikus won an at-large election in 2022, eligible candidates who live anywhere in the city can apply for the seat. Former councilmembers who have already served eight or more years are ineligible.
Cypress is transitioning to a system with single districts, where councilmembers represent neighborhoods or geographic areas. That means the appointed seat will not be elected at-large in November 2026.
Cypress decided to continue with the appointment process from 2021, when council appointed Minikus to fill a vacancy left by Councilmember Stacy Berry.
Candidates have until Oct. 30 to submit an application that includes a resume, a statement of interest and a detailed vision for the city.
Councilmembers agreed to select a pool of candidates for interview at the regularly scheduled Nov. 10 council meeting and to interview candidates Nov. 19 for 20 minutes each before making the appointment.
“I think I had the same reaction a lot of residents did when they first heard about the vacancy,” said Mayor David Burke. “They said we should have an election. When they heard it would cost $900,000 and the person would be there for six months before the next election, they said, no, don’t do that. With the cost and timing, an appointment makes more sense in this situation.”
Following the meeting, Cypress issued a press release about the application process and promoted the opportunity on social media.
