Woodland Park council opens 36-day applicant window to fill vacated seat after public pleas to appoint recent candidate

The Woodland Park City Council directed staff to open a 36-day application window to fill the council seat vacated when the sitting councilmember became mayor, settling on June 1–July 6 for applications and scheduling interviews in July.

The decision followed roughly an hour of council discussion about the options — leave the seat vacant, appoint directly, accept applications and interview, or hold a costly special election. Council members repeatedly said a special election would be an inefficient use of resources and that an appointment process would allow the council to consider a broad pool of candidates. Several council members preferred a pause to allow more applicants to consider running; others urged moving promptly so a seat would not remain empty for long.

The move prompted extensive public comment focused on Mary Sekowsky, a recent mayoral candidate who garnered about 900 votes (roughly 38% of the vote in that race). Multiple residents asked the council to appoint Sekowsky directly rather than run a public application process, saying her campaign showed strong community support and that appointing her would honor that voter base. Speakers described her work on local projects, business experience and community involvement; one speaker warned of filing recusal requests if the council appoints someone perceived as prejudged.

Council members reiterated they would accept applications beginning June 1 and close the window on July 6 to allow staff time to process materials for interviews at the council’s mid-July meeting. The council did not take a formal vote on the appointment method; the direction to staff reflects the council’s consensus.

Next steps: staff will publish the application materials and timeline on June 1; council members said they expect to interview finalists and make an appointment during July’s meeting cycle.