Cathedral City council will appoint replacement for Pettis’ seat

Cathedral City councilmembers voted unanimously to appoint a replacement for former mayor Greg Pettis’ seat.

Pettis passed away on Jan. 15 at age 63 from complications related to a 2018 bypass surgery. Pettis was the longest-serving council member in Cathedral City history, having been elected in 1994. He was also the city’s first openly gay public servant.

The council will appoint a Cathedral City resident at-large as opposed to based on Pettis’ district. During tonight’s meeting, the council said they believe Pettis’ seat will remain an at-large seat until 2020. Cathedral City held its first district-based election last year.

The council shot down the possibility of holding an election for the seat, citing time and money constraints.

On Thursday, a questionnaire will be posted on the City’s website for potential candidate(s) to fill out and submit their answers to the City Clerk by the close of business on Feb. 19.

Potential candidates must be 18 years of age or older, a U.S. citizen, a resident and a registered voter in Cathedral City.

The city council will review, discuss the letters of intent and the answers to the questions from potential candidates. On Feb 27, the council will attempt to appoint a councilmember during the meeting.

It will take a minimum of three of the four council members to vote in favor of a potential candidate to be appointed. Only candidate(s) who submit written answers to the questionnaire will be considered for the position.

The questionnaire will be posted here on Thursday.