If you have anything you wish the Council to know about these applicants send an email to cityclerk@tucsonaz.gov, or call your Councilmember or the Mayor.

Their cover letters and resumes are on the City Clerk’s website (click here), and here are brief summaries:

–Keith Barnes, Deputy with Pima County Sheriff’s Dept., B.S. in Business Administration & Management from U. of Phoenix, U.S. Air Force veteran, Democrat

–Judith Clinco, R.N., Founder/President of Care Giver Training Institute & Owner/President & CEO of Catalina In-Home Services, Inc., B.S. degree in Health Care Administration from St. Francis College (NY), A.A. in Applied Science (Nursing), Orange County Community College
(NY), former President of Old Fort Lowell Neighborhood Assn., Democrat

– Paul Arthur Cunningham, Juvenile Probation Officer for Pima County, U.S. Army National Guard, M.S.W. from ASU, B.A. in History from U of A, President of El Gheko Neighborhood Association, Democrat

–Kestutis J. (Kasey) Eidukonis, Career Technical Education Teacher at Tanque Verde HS, U.S. Army veteran & Reserves officer, B.S. in Russian History from U. of Illinois, No party affiliation

–Michael J. Fox, retired Journalism & Language Arts teacher at Santa Rita HS, M.A. in Social Studies (no college institution listed), Independent, (no relation to the famous actor with same name)

–Richard K. (Rick) Grinnell, Founder/Registered lobbyist for Smart United Business Strategies, Inc. and President/Registered lobbyist for Rick Grinnell Business & Marketing Consulting, B.S. in Business Management from U. of Phoenix, U.S. Navy veteran, candidate for Ward 2 Council seat in 1995 and 1999, Republican

– Dr. Richard Livingood, Process Improvement/Project Mgr. & Information Security Officer for Vantage West Credit Union, adjunct professor/instructor of Computer Information Systems, Ph.D. from Capella University (MN), M.A. in Counseling from Liberty University (VA), B.S. in Business Adm.from Bob Jones University (SC), Republican

–Ken Morgan, Owner/Partner of DLM Associates LLC, a renewable energy consulting firm, Republican

–Lori Oien, Small Business Co-owner of general contracting company J Oien Ventures, Inc. (with her husband), President of Bear Canyon Neighborhood Assn., attended U of A, Interior Design (no degree), candidate for Ward 2 Council seat in 2007, Republican

–Dr.William J. Polson, retired dentist, U.S. Army veteran, D.D.S. from Loyola University, Chicago College of Dental Surgery, B.A. from U of A, Republican

–Kenneth L. Van Zandt, retired Acting Station Captain of Tucson Fire Dept., Arizona Air National Guard, Owner of Arizona Territorial Termite & Pest Control, Democrat

Political party affiliation is listed if provided by the candidate or known to the public. It is not necessarily a factor in choosing the Council replacement for the unexpired term (to December, 2011), but there are four Democrats and one Republican on the Council, and the Mayor is also Republican.

5 minute presentations by each applicant will be given at the Tucson City Council meeting, followed by questions & answers. Judith Clinco had a scheduling conflict and has already given her presentation to the Council.

This is a diverse array of applicants: a professor, a fireman, a deputy sheriff, a probation officer, a dentist, a nurse, a lobbyist, two high school teachers, a businessman & a businesswoman. Three applicants (Judith Clinco, Paul Cunningham, & Lori Oien) are or have been Presidents of their neighborhood associations. (See Ward 2 map here which shows these neighborhood association boundaries). These applicants are indeed a reflection of the community in Tucson’s ward 2.

One should consider what is the job description of a City Councilmember and what job qualifications would make a person an effective public servant. Having reviewed resumes like this & hired people in my past, I think it will be interesting to see these applicants in person to gauge their speaking abilities and demeanor.

Come on down to the City Hall Chambers (255 W. Alameda St.) to hear these 10 applicants tell the Mayor/Council why they want to serve alongside them. The Council meeting starts at 5:30 p.m. but these presentations are item #9. (see link here to the regular agenda).

Note: Azbiz.com (Inside Tucson Business) has been running an online Reader’s poll to vote for your favorite of these applicants: http://www.azbiz.com/. Businessman Rick Grinnell has been receiving the most votes (29% so far).

* Jeff Bales (4/21 update: applicant withdrew per City Clerk’s office)
* Keith Barnes
* Joshua Jude Chesser (4/22 update: not qualified per Pima County Recorder Certification)
* Judith B. Clinco
* Paul Arthur Cunningham
* Kestutis J.(Kasey) Eidukonis
* Michael J. Fox
* Richard K.(Rick) Grinnell
* Richard Livingood
* Ken Morgan
* Lori Oien
* Jason Parsons (4/22 update: not qualified per Pima County Recorder Certification)
* William J. Polson
* Kenneth Van Zandt

Read my previous blog of April 20 (click here) as to how to comment about these remaining 11 applicants before Tuesday’s meeting.

* Jeff Bales (4/21 update: applicant withdrew per City Clerk’s office)
* Keith Barnes
* Joshua Jude Chesser (4/22 update: not qualifed per Pima County Recorder’s Certification)
* Judith B. Clinco
* Paul Arthur Cunningham
* Kestutis J.(Kasey) Eidukonis
* Michael J. Fox
* Richard K.(Rick) Grinnell
* Richard Livingood
* Ken Morgan
* Lori Oien
* Jason Parsons (4/22 update: not qualified per Pima County Recorder’s Certification)
* William J. Polson
* Kenneth Van Zandt

To read their resumes and cover letters, log onto City Clerk’s website at: www.tucsonaz.gov/clerks. Comments on these applicants can be sent to the City Clerk: cityclerk@tucsonaz.gov, to be forwarded to the Mayor/Council.

Timeline: The City Council will hear a 5 minute speech from each of the 14 applicants and ask questions of them at their regular meeting on April 27. Then on May 4th Mayor/Council will vote for the successor to Dr. Rodney Glassman (who resigned on April 6 to run for U.S. Senate) for this Ward 2 Council seat. To be successful, an applicant has to receive four affirmative votes from the Mayor/Council.

There are 4 Democrats on the Council: Shirley Scott (ward 4), Karin Uhlich (ward 3), Regina Romero (ward 1), and Richard Fimbres (ward 5), and 2 Republicans: Mayor Bob Walkup and Steve Kozachik (ward 6).

Send your comments to the Mayor and Council (http://cms3.tucsonaz.gov/mcc) before then, and they especially want to hear from Ward 2 residents.

Map of Ward 2 (and neighborhood associations) click here.

(This information about the 14 applicants just got posted tonight so I will likely be publishing a subsequent article, when I have more time to read these resumes & cover letters in depth.)

Procedure proposed by Councilmember Regina Romero and unanimously voted on by the rest of the Council: that an applicant would have five business days to submit a resume/cover letter with their eligibility requirements to the City Clerk, to be posted on that office’s website for City residents to review and comment on. Then the Council will hear for 5 minutes from qualified applicants (as determined by the City Clerk) at the next regularly scheduled Council meeting, as an official public hearing. Councilmember Steve Kozachik requested time after each applicant speaks to ask questions of the applicants, which was agreed upon.

Media reports had stated that two interested applicants for this seat are Democrat Paul Cunningham, a Pima County juvenile probation officer, and Republican neighborhood activist Lori Oien, who lost by 817 votes (in Ward 2) to Glassman on November 6, 2007. Oien lost to Glassman in all six council wards: 39,556 (61.15%) votes to 25,004 (38.66%) votes. Cunningham is the son of George Cunningham, former LD 13 State House Rep. and Senator, and is the 1st Vice President of Democrats of Greater Tucson.

Other names that have surfaced as possible applicants are Democrat Clarence Boykins, who ran for an LD 30 State House seat in 2006, and founder of the MLK Birthday Celebration, and Republican Ken Morgan, an owner and partner in a new local small business venture, DLM Associates LLC, a renewable energy consulting firm.

The last time the City Council appointed someone to replace a Councilmember was when Democrat Ward 3 Councilman Tom Saggau resigned in October, 1995 and was replaced by Democrat attorney Michael Crawford.

According to the Tucson Charter (Chapter VIII, section 2a) a person must be a resident and qualified Elector of the City for at least 3 years immediately prior to becoming a candidate for selection, and a resident of the ward at least 1 year immediately prior. This would eliminate newcomers to Ward 2 to apply. The Tucson charter also states that the successor to the vacant seat has to receive 4 affirmative votes from the Mayor and Council to be appointed.

If you have any comments about those who do apply for this Ward 2 seat (especially if you live in Ward 2), contact the Mayor and Council with your feedback.

Update: Deadline to apply is 5 p.m. April 20 per City of Tucson press release: http://www.tucsonaz.gov/clerks/W2MediaRelease.pdf. These resumes will be posted on the City Clerk’s website by Wed. April 21, with the applicants to appear before the Council on April 27 for their 5 minute speech and to answer answers. A final Council vote is expected on May 4.