Hillsborough residents won't head to the polls for a council race this November if the Town Council votes Thursday, Aug. 20, to appoint Jeff Baxter and Leslie Marden Ragsdale to two open seats and cancel the election.
The agenda for the 9 a.m. special meeting contains a single item: a resolution to seat both candidates without a public vote. Staff recommends the council approve it.
The move is possible because only two people filed nomination papers for two seats. The extended filing period closed Aug. 12 at 5 p.m. with no additional challengers, and the San Mateo County Elections Official verified both candidates' signatures.
Under California Elections Code Section 10229(a), when the number of candidates matches the number of open seats, the council may appoint the nominees outright or proceed with the scheduled Nov. 3 General Municipal Election.
A familiar path
Hillsborough has been here before. Since 1992, the town has faced the same scenario (candidates equaling seats) in 12 of 17 election years. Each time, the council chose appointment over election.
City Clerk Lisa Natusch wrote in the staff report that canceling the election would save the town between $43,000 and $51,000 in the FY 2026-27 budget. The town has already spent roughly $3,300 on supplies, required notices and translation costs for the 2026 election cycle.
Who's being appointed
Ragsdale serves as vice mayor on the five-member council, which also includes Mayor Sophie Cole and councilmembers Laurie Davies Adams, Marie Chuang and Christine Krolik. She was previously appointed to the council in December 2022. Ragsdale will participate in Thursday's meeting via teleconference from the Galmont Hotel in Galway, Ireland.
Baxter is a new name on the council dais. The agenda packet contains no biographical information about him.
If appointed, both would take office at the first regular council meeting in December 2026, the same meeting at which vote results would have been certified had an election been held.
What if the council says no
Should the council reject the appointment and proceed with the election, a write-in candidate filing period would open Sept. 7 and run through Oct. 20. Write-in candidates would need 20 signatures from registered Hillsborough voters.
The special meeting takes place at Town Hall, 1600 Floribunda Ave., and is also available via Zoom. Public comment will be accepted on the item.
