Kathy Tavoularis, a county employee who was one of seven people to apply to represent Orange’s northern District 3, was appointed by the City Council Tuesday, April 13, to fill the seat left vacant by the March 8 resignation of Mike Alvarez.
Tavoularis will serve until November 2022, when voters will decide whether she will finish the rest of Alvarez’s original four-year term.
Last month, Alvarez stepped down from the District 3 post following a judge’s ruling that the longtime councilman broke city term limit rules when he ran for, and won, a third consecutive term in November. Alvarez argued that the when the city switched from at-large to district elections in 2019, he essentially was running for a new seat.
Ultimately, Alvarez lost to court challenge by John Russo, who also ran for the seat, and resident Michael MacIsaac. Alvarez decided not to appeal.
Since then, seven council hopefuls applied for the District 3 appointment, including Russo and Danett Abbott-Wicker, another candidate who lost to Alvarez in November.
On Tuesday, the council voted 5-1 to avoid a special election by choosing a replacement for Alvarez, and appointed Tavoularis in a separate 4-2 vote.
Councilman Chip Monaco and Councilwoman Kim Nichols both questioned the value of spending an estimated $150,000 for a special election in November when a chosen appointee would only serve until 2022. Then, voters will decide – in a midterm election that’s already set – whether the appointee should remain in the District 3 seat through 2024.
Councilwoman Arianna Barrios countered that an election would be worth the cost – citing an expected boost to city coffers from incoming federal stimulus funds – to give District 3 residents a choice in their representative.
During public comments Tuesday, MacIsaac told city leaders that the city’s legal team should have considered the term limit rules more carefully and barred Alvarez from appearing on the ballot in the first place.
“The city’s inability to adhere to its own code misled the citizens of District 3. Now, instead of voters selecting a replacement you may choose to make a decision for us via appointment,” MacIsaac said.
“But you were not elected to select your peers,” he said. “You must right the wrongs that the city itself allowed and let the people vote – and yes, it will cost money.”
Later, Monaco addressed MacIsaac’s comments: “We are not elected to select a peer, and that may be true, but we are also not elected to determine who can and cannot run.”
“It was no secret that Mr. Alvarez was running beyond a second term” despite questions about whether that violated term limit rules, Monaco said. “The candidates have an opportunity to file a challenge of any other candidate prior to an election. Unfortunately, not one candidate stepped forward, (which) allowed the election to go forward.”
Tavoularis received a bachelor’s degree in political science from Cal State Long Beach and works as director of community and government relations for the Orange County Auditor-Controller’s office.
Mayor Mark A. Murphy expressed support for Tavoularis, whom he said has a track record of volunteering at community events.
“I think she brings a wealth of experience, she (attended) Orange Unified schools, she’s lived in the city for 40 years plus,” he said, “and she has a work experience as well as a professional experience that will serve well here.”
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