Christine Binnicker

The Seaside City Council has appointed Christine Binnicker to fill the vacant Ward 1 position.

City councilors publicly interviewed Binnicker, the director of state and local technology at consulting firm Guidehouse Inc., and Robin Montero, the chair of the Planning Commission, on Dec. 9 to succeed Steve Dillard, who was recalled last summer. Dillard was targeted for recall over his advocacy for age restrictions at the Seaside Public Library.

City Councilor David Posalski highlighted Binnicker’s wide experience working for a big city within a larger governmental organization.

Binnicker, who moved to Seaside from Colorado over three years ago, has over 25 years of experience leading technology organizations for Denver.

“I think we have kind of a choice between somebody who has a lot of experience in what we do and how we do it as a city in Robin, versus an outside perspective from Christine … ,” Posalski said. “And I’ve seen a lot of the benefits that have come from bringing Spencer (Kyle) from a similar situation, having that outside view to bring in and enhance the things that we’re doing.”

City Councilor Tita Montero, Robin Montero’s sister-in-law, recused herself from the decision.

Several city councilors expressed concerns over the optics of having two Monteros on the City Council, though they emphasized that they had full faith in both Tita Montero and Robin Montero to speak their minds independently.

City Councilor Seth Morrisey said it would be one thing if voters elected Robin Montero, but that as city councilors making the decision, they must consider a public perspective.

“Our system is set up in a way where, you know, we have seven councilors all elected from different wards,” he said. “And really, what we’re trying to do is spread out the power in a way where the public feels most represented.”

Mayor Steve Wright described the appointment as “probably one of the hardest decisions we’ve ever had to make on the council.

“As far as the idea, and again, you know, a lot of what we’ve been talking about — if you want to call it nepotism, or it’s just the way things appear — is an issue that people deal with pretty often, and particularly in really small towns … I think Robin and Tita are both very independent people and won’t necessarily stand together on, you know, issues.”

Wright and City Councilor Tom Horning initially wanted to appoint Montero, while Posalski, Morrisey and City Councilor Randy Frank opted for Binnicker.

In the interest of having a unanimous vote, Wright and Horning changed their votes to reflect support for Binnicker, who was subsequently sworn into office.

Binnicker told the City Council that she was honored and thrilled to take the position.

“I’m excited for January to get going,” she said. “I have to give a little shout out to my inspiration, who is my mom, who is at home watching. And just, thank you, mom, because I’m here because of you.”