ARTICLE
Oak Grove resident Betty Dominguez was appointed Thursday night to fill the Metro Council District No. 2 seat for the remainder of 2018. After Councilor Carlotta Collette stepped down because of her relocation to the Corvallis area in early January, the Council was set with the task to fill her seat for the remainder of the year. District 2 includes much of urban Clackamas County as well as areas of Southwest Portland between Interstate 5 and the Willamette River. Thursday night at a council meeting located in Metro District 2 at the Willamette View Terrace assisted living center auditorium, they heard from both the candidates on their strengths and members of the public on their preferred candidate. Six candidates filed for appointment to the vacant seat. Candidate included Joe Buck, a lake Oswego resident and member of the city council. Christine Lewis, a West Linn resident and the Legislative Director for the Bureau of Labor and Industries (BOLI). Carol Pauli is an Oregon City resident and longtime business owner. Eric Freed is a California transplant, Portland resident and architect. John Gibbon is a lifelong Oregonian and former zoo security guard. The appointment hearing began with an interview section in which each applicant was asked a series of questions about the importance of diversity, equity and inclusion, the top three issues each applicant would emphasize as a Metro councilor and how each applicant would connect with Metro’s constituents and keep them informed about the agency’s work and priorities. Four Candidates, Buck, Pauli, Lewis and Dominguez, filed to run in May 15 Primary race. If no candidate garners 51 percent of the vote in the primary, the top two will run against each other in the November general election. Dominguez took the oath of office on Tuesday, March 13, just before the start of the next scheduled council meeting.