Candidates to be interviewed Feb. 23 for vacant Walla Walla City Council seat
By Dan Thesman on Friday, February 13th, 2026 in Columbia Basin News More Top Stories
WALLA WALLA – The Walla Walla City Council moved one step closer to filling its vacant seat Wednesday night, opting to interview all 13 remaining applicants during an upcoming public work session.
The marathon interview session is scheduled for Monday, Feb. 23, as the city races against a ticking clock to replace former Councilmember Tom Scribner.
Each candidate will be granted a total of 20 minutes to make their case to the sitting council members: five minutes for a formal introduction and a summary of their qualifications; then 15 minutes for follow-up questions from the council regarding their applications and statements.
The council originally faced a pool of 14 applicants, Julie Balten, Michael Beatty, Emily Brown, Frances C. Chvatal, Dominick Elia, Roger Esparza, Traci Hickman, Christopher Jay, Liz Jessee, Carolyn Knowles, Mical Meldahl, Jeff Strickler, Paul Vandervort and James Wilson, but city officials confirmed Thursday that Christopher Jay has since withdrawn from consideration.
The opening on the council follows the resignation of Scribner, who stepped down from the Position 6 seat on Dec. 31, 2025. His departure triggered a 90-day statutory window under Washington state law for the city to appoint a successor.
