☆ Khamis on what to look for in D10 appointment candidates

Johnny Khamis was D10's councilmember from 2013-2020. And while he favored a special election, he offers the following advice to SJ's council as they go through the appointment process for a new D10 CM. An Opp Now exclusive.

Foremost, we need to make sure D10 gets somebody who has had experience with most--or all--parts of the district. Whether its via volunteer work, advocacy, or neighborhood associations, the district deserves someone who has a network that reaches through all of it, not just one area.

The D10 Leadership Coalition, which was started during my tenure and expanded during Mayor Mahan's tenure, comprises a lot of very talented, connected people who have worked across the district, and touched base with the diverse neighborhoods.

Ideally, it means we want someone with a proven track record of being able to reach out to--and work with--people of different opinions, and isn't beholden to any particular interest group.

I have always felt that San Jose needs independent voices. And leaders who are not too ideological. We do best when our representatives can weigh every decision on its own merits, and not be swayed by dogma nor special interest pressure.

The one thing I worry about is a lack of transparency. The more secretive, the more opaque the process, the less comfortable people will be with the outcome, the more they will fear that backroom deals and lobbying efforts are in play.

These councilmembers should be beholden to the citizens of their districts, not to other council members.

That's why I'm less than thrilled that the first round voting will be done behind closed doors.

And while the law can't demand it, we should be asking these candidates to serve for just the interim term. It's a real advantage to run as an incumbent, and it's not fair to other potential candidates that an unelected appointee will have all the advantages of incumbency--the expanded network, the history, the name recognition--without ever having been elected to this interim term.

Follow Opportunity Now on Twitter @svopportunity

Image by Jeffrey Beall