LFP City Council picks six candidates to fill vacancy

Two applicants who are running for the November election were eliminated from the pool, sparking debate.

The Lake Forest Park City Council selected six candidates to fill a vacancy after eliminating two candidates from the list at a meeting on Thursday, May 29.

Lake Forest Park city council. Top row: Semra Riddle, Jon Lebo, Ellyn Saunders Bottom row: Deputy Mayor Tracy Furutani, Paula Goode, Larry Goldman.

The City Council is working to appoint an interim council member to the vacancy left by the passing of Council Member Lorri Bodi. The interim council member will serve until the results of the November 2025 General Election are certified.

The council received eight applications for the position. Councilmember Ellyn Saunders moved to eliminate two applicants who are currently running for Lake Forest Park City Council in the upcoming election. The council voted to eliminate Fred Grant and Joshua Rosenau (full disclosure: Josh is a personal friend of mine).

Speaking in support of the motion to eliminate the two applicants, Councilmember Paula Goode said, “appointing a declared candidate creates an unfair advantage in the upcoming election. Even a brief incumbency confers both the appearance of legitimacy and privileged access to inside information, an edge the other candidates do not and cannot possess.”

Councilmember Semra Riddle opposed eliminating the applicants, saying, “Any of the candidates who were filing had an opportunity to put in an application. They had the knowledge, and they decided not to. So again, whrere are we to use that as a terming factor? Everyone had equal opportunity to file and equal opportunity to apply for the appointment.”

The remaining six candidates will be interviewed on Wednesday, June 4, and Thursday, June 5. Those candidates are:

• Richard Saunders — The brother-in-law of Councilmember Ellyn Saunders, he served on the Lake Forest Park Planning Commission for eleven years. In his application, he notes Lake Forest Park faces "the ongoing challenge of preserving what makes our community unique... while managing the pressures of regional urban growth."

• Ashton Alvarez McCartney — has served on the Planning Commission since 2022 and is the former Chair. She states, "Middle Housing & Budget challenges prove to be leading concerns, reconciling limited resources with growing needs."

• Fiaz Mir — Holds a Master’s in City Planning and an MBA with 10+ years as a city and transportation planner. He states he is "eager to contribute to Lake Forest Park’s efforts to integrate diverse, affordable housing options while preserving neighborhood character... leveraging my planning background."

• Sam Orallo — Retired bank manager, VP, and mortgage company president. According to his application, "There are hard decisions to be made about budgeting, transportation, traffic control, public safety, and community services."

• Juan Sebastian Quesada — Is an aerospace engineer with experience navigating city processes and code enforcement. His application identifies says the "most urgent issue LFP is facing is the projected budget deficit... prioritize essential services such as our police department and continue our efforts to improve traffic and pedestrian safety."

• Andrew H Weber — Is a 15-year resident with leadership in science, engineering, and business. He asserts, "The Council's primary focus must be on ensuring long-term fiscal sustainability... The City must also adopt aggressive strategies to align with the state’s net-zero emissions target..."

The Lake Forest Park City Council is authorized by state law and the City's Governance Manual to appoint a qualified resident to fill a council vacancy. This appointment must occur within 90 days of the vacancy. The appointed individual serves until the results of the November 2025 General Election are certified. The process includes advertising the position, accepting applications from registered voters residing in the City for at least one year, and the Council reviewing applications, conducting interviews, and voting to select the appointee.

Disclosure Note: Josh Rosenau is a personal friend of mine, and Council member Paula Goode has publicly criticized my reporting.

Correction: an earlier version of this article incorrectly named Ashton Alvarez McCartney as the current chair of the Planning Commission. She recently stepped down.