In a process that took just under three hours on Monday night, Dec. 12, the Monterey City Council voted 4-0 to appoint Gene "Gino" Garcia to an at-large seat vacated by former council member Dan Albert, Jr., who lost his bid to become mayor.
Garcia was selected out of a pool of 11 applicants, each of whom was given the opportunity to speak for three minutes before the council, after which each council member asked a follow-up question.
There were many highly qualified applicants, but Garcia, who lives in District 4 (which encompasses northeastern Monterey, and does not have a representative on the council) was the only candidate of the 11 that was among the top three choices of every council member.
An assistant planner for nonprofit Ecology Action, Garcia has lived in Monterey for more than 10 years. In a written statement he provided to the city, he wrote, that "if provided the opportunity to serve the residents of Monterey, I intend to uplift the strong voice of our residents and promote the goals and aspirations of our communities.
"It is an exciting time for our city," he continued, "and we need to harness the growing energy for change."
Garcia's term will last two years; if he chooses, he could run for council in 2024 to represent District 4.
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