By allowing ads to appear on this site, you support the local businesses who, in turn, support great journalism.
Three vie for empty council seat
ceres city seal

Three Ceres residents have submitted applications to be considered for appointment to fill the Ceres City Council District 4 seat vacancy caused by the Oct. 11 resignation of Couper Condit.

The application deadline passed at noon Wednesday. John R. Osgood III applied on Friday, Ceres Planning Commissioner Daniel Martinez applied on Monday and Mohinder Singh Kanda on Wednesday.

At its last meeting the council ordered a fast-track application process in a quest to fill the District 4 council seat as quickly as possible. The council will interview the applicants during a special meeting set to start at 6 p.m. on Tuesday, Nov. 9.

Osgood is a frequent attendee at council meetings to offer input, often criticizing the actions of the council and city staff. He is employed as a truck driver and has his own podcast, Forgotten Liberty Radio.

Martinez was an unsuccessful candidate for the council in November 2020 and appointed to the Ceres Planning Commission last month. Martinez is employed as a quality auditor with SunOpta Aseptic in Modesto. His wife Kayla was elected as city treasurer in November.

Should Martinez receive the appointment, the council would need to fill his seat on the Planning Commission.

A Ceres businessman, Kanda unsuccessfully ran for the District 3 Ceres City Council seat in November. He submitted his application for the District 4 appointment using a Fifth Street residence. The validity of his voter registration at that address will need to be verified to make his application official.

The city has verified that Osgood and Martinez are registered voters living in District 4.

Condit, who had been elected to the District 4 in November 2020, served only 10 months when he resigned. Whoever is appointed will not serve out Condit’s full unexpired term but only serve until the November 2022 election. The candidate elected to District 4 in November 2022 would only serve two years to get the four-year term back to its normal cycle of overlapping terms.