Chelan appoints Rivera-Vargas to vacant council seat

CHELAN — After more than an hour behind closed doors — and enough suspense to leave a packed council chamber speculating about the outcome — the Chelan City Council on May 12 appointed Cesar Rivera-Vargas to fill the vacant Position 5 seat on the council.

Rivera-Vargas was sworn in late in the evening following a lengthy interview and deliberation process that drew five candidates and a full audience to Chelan City Hall.

The vacancy was created after former councilmember Mark Ericks resigned earlier this year.

Council entered executive session at approximately 6:10 p.m. following candidate interviews and did not reconvene until after 7:20 p.m., reflecting what several councilmembers later described as a difficult decision among a strong field of applicants.

Rivera-Vargas was appointed following a motion from Councilmember Tim Hollingsworth and a second from Councilmember Shane Collins.

“I was impressed with the candidate’s passion and his common-sense attitudes,” Hollingsworth said before the vote. “We saw you here at several meetings, and I’m just excited to welcome your perspective onto the council.”

Councilmember Agustin Benegas echoed that sentiment, while Councilmember Terry Sanders said Rivera-Vargas would help represent a demographic he believes has been underrepresented in local government.

“I thought he spoke with a ton of passion tonight,” Sanders said. “I think there’s certainly a large demographic in our community that’s underrepresented. That’s exciting.”

Collins said Rivera-Vargas had already demonstrated interest in local government before applying for the position.

“You showed interest when I first came on the council,” Collins said. “You were interested in what I was doing, what the council was doing. You showed that engagement.”

The council voted unanimously to appoint Rivera-Vargas.

Following the vote, City Clerk Peri Gallucci administered the oath of office, and Rivera-Vargas took his seat at the dais before the meeting continued.

“I’m ready to get this public speech thing over with,” Rivera-Vargas joked later during council comments, drawing laughter from the room.

The appointment followed a public interview process in which each candidate was given eight minutes to answer questions about budgeting, governance, growth, and their priorities for Chelan.

Rivera-Vargas, a member of the Carpenters Union, emphasized workforce development and economic opportunity during his interview.

“I want to create a stronger pathway to careers for young adults leaving high school and for veterans re-entering the workforce,” he told council.

He also described his motivation for serving as rooted in supporting working families and local businesses.

“My motivation for serving on the council comes from wanting to give back to the community and help make decisions that positively impact residents, workers, and future generations,” Rivera-Vargas said.

The four other candidates, Ben Laughlin, Lars Strandberg, Pamela Gean Van Gerpen and Todd Higley, each brought different backgrounds and priorities to the discussion.

Van Gerpen emphasized transparency and long-term economic resilience, arguing Chelan should continue evolving into a year-round regional hub rather than relying solely on seasonal tourism.

“We really should be a regional hub to our neighbors in the Methow, Pateros, and Brewster,” Van Gerpen said during her interview.

Higley, a local business owner, substitute school bus driver, and youth sports coach, spoke about housing affordability and preparing Chelan for inevitable growth while preserving community character.

“I want to make sure that he’s in a prosperous community and somewhere that he’ll want to stay through graduating high school and then go off to college and come back home,” Higley said, referring to his son.

Strandberg highlighted his military background, business experience, and collaborative leadership style, telling council that difficult issues required teamwork and thoughtful discussion.

“The issues that the city council faces are rarely black and white, but rather layered with competing interests and complexities that are not easily solved,” Strandberg said.

Laughlin, who finished second behind Shane Collins in the 2025 council race, emphasized fiscal stewardship, infrastructure planning, and restoring public trust in city government during his interview. 

Several councilmembers later thanked all five applicants for participating, encouraging them to stay involved in city government and future elections.

“We had five great folks from our community,” Mayor Erin McCardle said near the close of the meeting. “That is so much better than having nobody want to apply to be on council.”

After the meeting adjourned, Rivera-Vargas said he was surprised by the outcome and praised the other applicants.

“I got to know new people in the conference room, and they’re good people,” he said.

Andrew Simpson: 509-433-7626 or andrew@ward.media