Liberty Lake Council position opening

A spot on the Liberty Lake City Council will be open next month, and town residents can apply to fill the spot.

Councilman Dennis Paul will be moving out of the city at the end of April and into the unincorporated area near the lake after which the town is named. By law, elected city officials must live within the city limits.

A council member since the city was formed in 2001, Paul announced his departure last November, stating that he wouldn’t be stepping down until he actually moved. The sale of his city house is expected to close April 24.

The position pays $250 a month. The council meets as a group twice monthly, though individual members also represent the city on various government boards.

The City Council will choose Paul’s replacement, who will serve the remainder of Paul’s term and not face election until November 2009.

Applications for the position, which can be submitted through April 9, can be picked up at City Hall, 22710 E. Country Vista Drive or online at http://www.libertylakewa.gov/news.asp?id=223.

Applicants must be old enough to vote and residents of the city.

Typically, appointments to an otherwise elected position are considered a toehold on a political future. Appointees get a chance to establish themselves as public representatives before facing the challenges of election.

However, in Liberty Lake, council members rarely have faced challengers at the polls. Two of Liberty Lake Council’s seven positions have been filled by appointment.