Photo Credit: City of Auburn
(AUBURN, CA.) – At its last meeting, the Auburn City Council unanimously appointed former Mayor Bridget Powers to fill its vacant seat, creating what Powers said was the “first all-female council” in the city’s history.
Powers takes the seat left vacant since June 25, when Council Member Mike Holmes resigned. Holmes died two days later.
As reported by OpGov.News, Bridget Powers was not only an applicant for interim council member; she is also campaigning for a seat on the City Council in the upcoming November election. Powers’ resume includes roles as former Mayor of Auburn and Placer County District 5 Director, and her campaign focuses on public safety, including forest safety.
Powers also has a number of powerful sponsors, ranging from county supervisors to Council Member Alice Dowdin Calvillo, who said, “Bridget and I have worked together for a very long time.” and that Powers “puts her money where her mouth is.”
The application process for filling Holmes’ vacant seat began at the July 13 council meeting, when it was decided to open the application process with a deadline of August 10, two days before the election candidate deadline of August 12. The item was moved to August 24, when the council would appoint their interim member.
On August 24, City Clerk Amy Lind introduced the topic to the council, saying in part that “outreach” for applications “was very successful,” and utilized a variety of mediums from digital city platforms to external news media outlets. Lind continued that the application process yielded “five applications with two applicants not meeting the residency requirement” and another who “withdrew.”
This left two candidates for consideration at the meeting: Bridget Powers and Felicia Joy Di Prosper.
When asked why she wanted to run for council, Di Prosper said, “one of my clients told me I’d be really good at it…so that’s what brought me here today.” Additionally, she was unable to speak to specific suggestions related to the “city budget and fiscal position” as she “didn’t look into it.” Di Prosper also said that her “main concern is the roads” and that she is not running for election in November.
Powers began her interview with “a little story” about Auburn’s 2006 creation of Central Square, which took “just four years.” Powers, who was mayor at the time, said this accomplishment is indicative of what she “will bring to the city council.”
Photo Credit: Visit Placer / Image of Central Square
This includes “working together with the community, finding ways to improve our business districts, and creating spaces our citizens can enjoy with their friends and family.”
When asked by Mayor Davis what she knew about the current city budget and what, if any, changes she would propose, Powers laughed, saying bluntly, “we don’t have enough time,” before she continued. “We have some problems coming up." she said, “We have some financial deficits that are going to strongly impact the future of the City of Auburn.”
Returning to the Central Square project, Powers reiterated that city financial issues required a “bigger, broader way” of looking at them. This includes “forest safety,” which she cited when asked what Auburn’s “greatest challenge” was. Later, in the same vein, she cited “public safety” as her “number one” priority.
As the council prepared to move forward, Powers took the podium and used her closing 60 seconds to emphasize her past achievements. “I feel like I have the right experience, knowledge, and a very good relationship with Placer County,” she said, “and I would be the best person for the position.”
Prior to the council’s appointment decision, Mayor Davis had a final question, inquiring if Powers was running as a candidate in the November council election. Powers’ affirmative answer included her campaign website and the statement, “I am in full campaign mode.”
Photo Credit: Instagram / @electbridgetpowers2026
In the end, the council unanimously voted to appoint Powers to Holmes’ seat.
Taking her oath and sitting through one final piece of council business, newly appointed Interim Council Member Powers said that “former city manager Sean Rabé” informed her that this is “the first all female council in Auburn’s history, first in Placer County, and only second in the capitol region west of Sacramento” with “the first being [in] 2023.”
While she said, “we are making history today,” and council members cheered, Council Member Dowdin Calvillo said, “I didn’t even realize that.”
Research has not identified any other all-female council in the city or county.
To add to or correct any information in this report, please contact me at robert.m@lead4earth.org or leave a comment below with your thoughts.
0
0
Comments