El Centro, CA., April 10, 2025:
During a Special Meeting held on Tuesday, April 8, 2025, the El Centro City Council selected the top eight candidates to advance to the interview stage in the process to fill a vacant council seat.
The top eight candidates, in no particular order, are:
- Edgard Garcia
- Jason Jackson
- Cheryl Viegas-Walker
- Richard Lopez
- Michael Crankshaw
- David Dhillon
- Raymond Loera
- Carlos Ramirez
Applicant Ashley Bertussi was initially identified as a top nominee. However, upon further review of her listed home address, it was determined that she does not meet the eligibility requirements for the Council seat. Carlos Ramirez was added as a replacement for Ashley Bertussi.
The City of El Centro received a total of 16 applications for the vacant council seat. The next step in the appointment process will be public interviews, which are scheduled to take place at 5:30 p.m. on Wednesday, April 16, in the Council Chambers during a Special Meeting open to the public.
At its discretion, the Council may choose to add more candidates from the original pool of applicants. The selected candidate will be announced during the interview meeting.
The selected candidate will be sworn in at 10 a.m. on Monday, April 21, in the Council Chambers. The swearing-in ceremony is also a Special Meeting and open to the public. Council will also have a reorganization to select a new Mayor for the remainder of the year during the April 21 meeting.
