Tiburon council sidesteps appointment for vacant seat

The Tiburon Town Council will retain a vacancy on the council until a special election can be held in August.

The council held interviews with six candidates at a meeting on Wednesday, but could not reach consensus on a candidate.

The candidates were Isaac Nikfar and Chuck Hornbrook, members of the town’s Parks, Open Space and Trails Commission; Lou Weller, a former planning commissioner; Nora Noguez, a former attorney; Kathleen Defever, a planning commissioner; and Karen Carrera, a member of the town’s Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Task Force.

Mayor Jack Ryan nominated Nikfar for the vacancy, arguing that he earned about 2,000 votes as a candidate in the last election. The motion was rejected in a 2-2 vote, with Councilmember Jon Welner and Vice Mayor Alice Fredericks dissenting.

The council invited the candidates to participate in the special election set for Aug. 29.

“Obviously the voters want to have a say,” Fredericks said.

Welner said, “In my view, each of these candidates should put their case before the voters.”

Councilmember Holli Thier commended each of the candidates and urged each of them to run.

“I know we do not have agreement on a candidate here tonight and I don’t think we have to have another motion to say that,” Thier said.

The council initially chose to appoint someone to the short-term post vacated by Noah Griffin, who stepped down in January to help his wife, who is undergoing breast cancer treatment.

Instead, the council voted on Wednesday to hold a special election, expected to cost between $40,000 and $50,000. The filing period opens May 8 and closes June 2. The winning candidate will likely take office in September and serve the remainder of Griffin’s term until November 2024.

Before the council vote Wednesday, the candidates made their case for appointment, seeking to elevate their professional experience and roles in town government. After the decision, Nikfar, Noguez and Defever all said they plan to run in August. Weller and Carrera said they did not plan to run. Hornbrook said he is undecided.

Griffin, a longtime Tiburon resident, civic activist and public affairs consultant, was elected in November 2021. He received 47% of the vote in the four-way race.

That election was held to complete the term of former councilmember David Kulik, who moved to San Diego with more than three years remaining on his term.