Winlock Mayor Don Bradshaw swears in Trig Pedersen to city councilor position 1, Monday evening in Winlock.
The councilor that Winlock City Council appointed to position 1 on Monday is currently ineligible to serve on the council, according to a letter from Lewis County Prosecutor Jonathan Meyer dated Wednesday, March 27.
“Once again it appears the city of Winlock has failed to properly appoint a qualified candidate to a vacant seat,” reads the letter from Meyer in part. “Both RCW 42.04.020 and 35.23.031 are clear when outlining the requirements to be eligible to hold office. A person must, at the time of the appointment, be a citizen and an elector (i.e. registered voter) of the area in which they seek to serve. In this case, that would be the city of Winlock.”
The Winlock City Council appointed Trig Pedersen to council position 1 Monday at its regular council meeting. The seat became vacant when former councilor Andrew Maloney resigned in early February.
According to the letter, the Lewis County Auditor’s Office was unable to find any record that Trig Pedersen is registered to vote in the city of Winlock.
“The Auditor was able to find a Donald Trygue Pedersen registered in Cowlitz County with a post office box in Winlock, Washington,” the letter reads. “... Because of the city’s failure to appoint a qualified person, it is the county’s position Winlock City Council Position 1 remains vacant and has been vacant since February 4, 2019. By the county’s calculation, the city has until May 5, 2019 to fill the vacancy before the duty falls to the county to appoint a qualified candidate.”
Winlock city attorney Erin Hillier and Winlock mayor Don Bradshaw did not immediately respond for comment Friday afternoon. Meyer said Friday afternoon he has not heard from the law firm regarding the letter.
Meyer also said that while the city does not legally have to advertise and hold interviews for the position again, Pedersen must first register to vote before he is qualified to be seated. The Winlock City Council would need a motion to appoint him, a second and then have to swear Pedersen in again.
