SAN ANTONIO — The City of San Antonio has opened up the application to fill Councilman Clayton Perry’s District 10 seat temporarily after Perry asked for a leave of absence. The city has now put out a timeline and some of the qualifications for the position. The Council will narrow down candidates by the end of the month.
Perry, meanwhile, is asking not to be paid during that leave according to the city.
"The Councilman plans to defer his pay and is working with HR on that process," a city spokesperson said.
This all comes after Perry admitted to a hit-and-run. San Antonio police have since charged him with a misdemeanor for leaving the crash scene.
The councilman Monday announced he'll take a leave of absence to seek medical advice. He promised to seek rehab if a doctor recommended it. Perry has not said whether he was drinking that night, but he acknowledged his actions caused the “accident” and apologized to the community and victims in the other car.
Council members censured Perry and executed a "vote of no confidence" against him. However, Perry can still return to his post any time he chooses.
"He can just tell us he’s ready…so its up to him,” San Antonio City Attorney Andy Segovia told KENS 5.
Perry will not get to vote on the candidate who replaces him. The city has also confirmed that temporary councilmember will be paid though they have not said what the amount will be.
The deadline to submit the application and all required documents is Monday, November 28 by 5 p.m.
Segovia said the City Council will narrow down the applications to the top three candidates on November 30. The council will interview those individuals at the following regular city council meeting and select a new temporary councilmember by majority vote. If none of the three candidates get a majority, the council will then vote on the top two candidates according to city rules.
Qualifications to apply for district 10 temporary city council position:
- Must have resided in the council district he or she hopes to represent at least six months prior to filing his or her application for election and must continue to do so during his or her term of office.
- Must be a citizen of the United States.
- Must be at least 18 years old.
- Must be a qualified voter of the City of San Antonio by the last day of the application period.
- Must not have been determined mentally incapacitated by a final judgment of a court.
- Must not have been finally convicted of a felony unless pardoned or otherwise released from the resulting disabilities.
- Must have resided in Texas continuously for one year.
- Must have resided in San Antonio continuously for at least one year prior to filing the application.
For more details on how to apply, click here.