ENCINITAS — The Encinitas City Council voted 3-1 on Wednesday night to fill a vacant seat through an appointment process, drawing sharp criticism and claims of “hypocrisy” for seemingly contradicting campaign statements from newly elected officials who had publicly opposed such appointments.
The District 4 seat was left vacant after Bruce Ehlers was elected mayor, leaving the new council to deliberate whether to hold a costly special election or proceed with an appointment.
City Clerk Kathy Hollyhood outlined the two options: a special election estimated to cost between $275,000 and $450,000 or an appointment process that would likely fill the seat by February.
“The earliest we would be able to hold that special election is the Aug. 26 special election date,” Hollywood said, adding that certification could push the process into October, leaving the seat vacant for nearly a year.
Newly elected District 2 Councilmember Jim O’Hara, who had previously called for special elections during his campaign, told The Coast News that he “agonized over the decision” but ultimately defended his vote for an appointment.
“I listened to everybody who got up there … I sincerely listened to the person who called me out for having pushed for elections,” O’Hara said. “This was one of the hardest decisions, and someone will be mad no matter your choice. I will reluctantly support an appointment only if there are stipulations to avoid further political appointments.”
Councilmember Joy Lyndes, who cast the lone dissenting vote, described her opposition as a “protest vote.”
“I will not support a motion that calls for an appointment, not only because of the hypocrisy but also because of the divisiveness it has caused,” Lyndes said during the meeting.
Lyndes, who was herself appointed to the District 3 seat in 2021, emphasized the tension caused by criticism of council appointees, including former council members Allison Blackwell and Kellie Hinze, during the campaign.
“I just had to protest that it was used against the other (candidates) to get these people into their seats, and then one of their first decisions was to appoint,” Lyndes later told The Coast News.
Councilmember Luke Shaffer, who defeated Blackwell in the District 1 race, acknowledged the criticism over what some have called “serial appointments” but defended the decision as the most practical option.
“First and foremost, I’m looking for somebody that stands for Encinitas,” Shaffer said during Tuesday’s meeting, emphasizing the importance of selecting a candidate with strong civic engagement and leadership skills. “I am 100% behind an appointment at this point just because of … time, efficiency, money and where we stand.”
Shaffer highlighted the need for a candidate who could “do the right thing” for the city and manage the complexities of the role effectively.
Ehlers, who also pushed for an appointment, cited the urgency of filling the seat to address city priorities without significant delay.
“An appointed official would get us here in February,” Ehlers said. “An election would leave us waiting until October (2025), and by then, they’d be turning around and running for office again.”
Public Reaction
Public comments during the meeting revealed a sharp divide over the decision. While the decision ensures the council can fill the seat more quickly, the move reignited discussions about balancing fiscal responsibility with public trust in the democratic process.
While acknowledging his past support for appointments under certain conditions, longtime resident Marco Gonzalez, brother of former state Assemblymember Lorena Gonzalez, pointed to perceived inconsistencies in the council’s stance.
“To the extent you’re going to get up now and say, because our guys won, we want an appointment — let’s just own the hypocrisy,” Gonzalez said.
Other residents, including Brian Stone, advocated for a special election, arguing it upheld democratic principles.
“Let the people of District 4 have a special election and elect their next council person,” Stone said. “I see that as a measure of integrity.”
Rachel Graves, a volunteer for the campaigns of Ehlers, O’Hara and Shaffer, defended the appointment process, citing the high cost of an election.
“Anyone who voted for Bruce knew that seat would become available, and that is standard practice in the city to appoint,” Graves said.
Ehlers and O’Hara supported the implementation of safeguards to prevent appointees from running in the next election.
“I will ask each and every one of the applicants, whether they will publicly announce that they will not run in 2026, and I will not support somebody who will not do that,” Ehlers said, adding that such a commitment aligns with his belief in “free and open elections.”
The appointment process will begin immediately, with applications for the District 4 seat to be posted and interviews scheduled for January 22, 2025. The council is expected to finalize the appointment by February 12, 2025.
2 comments
Joy Lyndes needs to understand the voters have spoken and spoken clearly. Most residents prefer an election but the prior mayor left very little cash in our reserves, and an election will cost between $2 & $300,000. Besides not having money to spend on a special election, the seat would be vacant for another 10 months. In this instance an appointment makes sense.
Last cycle three out of five council members, including Lyndes were originally appointed. Mayor Ehlers made it very clear he would prefer a more diverse council and prefers that the appointee not run again. Former mayor Sheila Cameron spoke about the ongoing pattern of appointments in the past that has finally been broken with three newly elected seats.
There’s sour grapes whenever there’s a turnover in city government. Nowhere have I read or heard how Bruce Ehlers got credit for nomimating Lyndes for Deputy Mayor, which was quite appropriate and non partisan. Bruce is astute enough to focus on candidates who will add value to the city, regardless of their party preferences.
New leadership was sorely needed in Encinitas. Our small city has a lot of big city problems, including homelessness, crime, traffic, overdevelopment, over budget projects, bloated city government and pension debt.
Many know Mr Ehlers from his years on the planning commission. He’s a solid leader, fair and resident oriented. Many residents were tired of the partisan, divisive and ideological path taken by city leadership over the last ten years. The idea of having leadership that is solely focused on Encinitas and not party ideologies is incredibly refreshing.
I’m excited about Encinitas’s future for the first time in many years.
Lyndes opposed it but didn’t mind herself being appointed and didn’t oppose Blackwell from being appointed.
Lyndes needs to be the next to go. Nothing more than a Blakespear crony who voted in favor of every single bad decision by Blakespear and Kranz.
She should not have been named Deputy Mayor. No good deed will ever get reciprocated.
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