Interested in serving the Buckley community as a member of the City Council? If so, the time is now.

The city is in the process of filling a vacancy on its seven-member governing body and will be taking applications until Feb. 5.

The empty Position 7 seat had been filled by Sandy Burkett, who had intended to remain in her council role. She filed for re-election last May, was unopposed and was elected in November to another four-year term.

A job offer intervened, however. Burkett accepted a position with the Buckley Police Department with the understanding she could not be employed by the city while also serving on the council. She resigned her Position 7 seat during the council’s final meeting of 2019.

Now, the rules call for the city to fill the vacancy until the next general election, which will be in November 2021. The citizen chosen to fill the empty seat will serve through the end of 2021.

Interested candidates are required to submit both a letter of interest and a completed City Council application. The application form is available at Buckley City Hall, 933 Main St., or by download from the city website, www.cityofbuckley.com. Materials should be submitted to Buckley City Clerk Treva Percival, either online at tpercival@cityofbuckley.com or delivered to City Hall.

Candidates for the council vacancy must be at least 18 years old, a current Buckley resident with a minimum of one full year of residency within the city limits (by the date of appointment), and be a registered voter.

Those on the seven-member council are expected to attend the two meetings scheduled each month, along with a monthly study session and one or two committee meetings. Each council member is compensated $250 per month.

In announcing the vacancy, a city posting notes that, “Prospective candidates should collaborate with teamwork and be proficient in using technology. Council members should be able to actively participate in the legislative process, listening to one another’s points of view, considering citizen input, and weighing available options related to complex issues.”

Council members set policies that direct city operations, define the duties of city employees and, in their biggest role, establish Buckley’s annual operating budget.

The candidate chosen to fill the Position 7 vacancy will join veteran council members Ron Smith, Connie Bender and Luke Wilbanks. The other three – Lyn Rose, Marvin Sundstrom and Amanda Burbank – were elected in November.

All of Buckley’s council positions are of the “at large” variety, meaning there are no geographic boundaries. Council members can reside anywhere within the city limits.