The Bend City Council will soon have new faces among its ranks.
Councilors voted in two new members late Thursday night, capping off a turbulent month that saw the resignation of a sitting mayor and a city councilor just months before an election.
Both of the new councilors are political newcomers, who differed on whether they plan to run for election at the end of their shortened terms.
The appointed city councilors will take their seats at Bend City Hall, pictured above, after other members selected them from an interview process that drew nearly 40 applications.
Bradley W. Parks / OPB
The council first chose Stephen Sehgal, who was born and raised in Bend. He works as a victim advocate in the Deschutes County District Attorney’s Office. In his interview, Sehgal, 27, highlighted his experience working with residents from a variety of backgrounds.
“I know the fears of people that are hurt the most,” he said. “I hear their pain and I can give perspective on that.”
Sehgal takes over for Rita Schenkelberg, who left their seat halfway through a four-year term, citing racist and transphobic bullying by members of the public. Like Schenkelberg, Sehgal is a renter and a person of color and said he plans to draw on those experiences while in office.
He said he plans on running for the seat when it is up for election this November.
The council also appointed Mo Mitchell, a licensed mental health counselor in Bend, who said they do not expect to run for a full term in November this year.
Mitchell takes the place of Gena Goodman-Campbell, who became mayor following the sudden resignation of former mayor Sally Russell. Mitchell emphasized their communication skills, honed through their career as a counselor.
Nearly 40 people applied to fill the two vacated seats, including former Bend City Councilor Mark Capell and former Oregon State Representative Judy Stiegler. A swearing-in ceremony for Sehgal and Mitchell is expected to take place at or before the next city council meeting on June 15.
In November, Bend voters will choose a mayor and vote on three council seats.
Correction: An earlier version of this story misstated the number of Bend city council seats up for election in November.