Council Sets Process to Fill Vacant Seat; Interested Parties May Apply Beginning Monday

September 26, 2025 - At a special meeting of the City Council held on Thursday, Sept. 25, the Council established a process, timeline, application questions, and factors that the Councilors are to consider when reviewing applicants for the City Council seat vacated when Katie Dunwell resigned last week.

Mayor Shawn O’Neil said he sought a transparent, collaborative process that allows each Councilor to review and consider candidates for the position.

“I wanted to take the mayor out of (leading the process) and allow us all as a collective body to work together to find the best candidate,” O’Neil said.

Beginning Monday, Sept. 29, the City is accepting applications for the position, which carries a term through December 2026. To qualify, any prospective applicant must be a registered voter, and must be a current resident who has lived in Wilsonville for at least one year.

For any qualified applicant to be considered, their materials must be received by the City Recorder’s office no later than 5 pm on Friday, Oct. 10. Applications may be submitted online, by mail, or in person at City Hall (29799 SW Town Center Loop E.). Paper applications will be provided upon request.

While Councilors may meet independently with applicants, they may not engage in serial communications with each outside of Council Chambers. The Council is expected to deliberate and identify a preferred candidate at its scheduled meeting on Monday, Oct. 20. Prior to convening, they will independently rank their preferred candidates. Those rankings will be shared in the City Council packet to inform their deliberations.

If a successful motion is made to appoint a preferred candidate, the appointee would likely be sworn in at the scheduled meeting on Nov. 3.

For more information and/or to access the online application once it goes live, visit https://www.wilsonvilleoregon.gov/2025appointment

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