After wading — or whittling — through 40 applicants, the Santee City Council reached a decision at 12:15 a.m. this morning,
appointing former Councilman and recently termed-out State Assemblyman Brian Jones (R-71) to a vacant seat. The council voted 3-1 in favor of Jones, with newest Councilmember Stephen Houlahan in opposition.
“I’m honored to be selected to fill the city council vacancy,” Jones told SD Rostra. “The mayor and council had a difficult job last choosing from the many qualified candidates. I’m thankful for the community support and look forward to continuing to serve the residents of Santee.”
Jones (pictured, speaking to the Republican Liberty Caucus a couple of years ago) fills the remaining two years of John Minto’s council term, after the latter was elected mayor last year. Jones previously served on the council before winning a State Assembly seat in 2010.
Former Santee Mayor Randy Voepel ran for and won the Assembly seat last year, replacing the term-limited Jones.
Jones is not anticipated to run for election to the council seat in 2018, as he previously announced he will seek the State Senate seat held by Joel Anderson, who himself will be termed-out of office.
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