Molalla City Council has begun the process of filling an empty council seat.

Council vacates the seat, opens application process until Aug. 15

The search for Molalla’s next city councilor officially took form during the Wednesday, June 26, Molalla City Council meeting.

At that meeting, the City Council passed a resolution to officially have Rae Lynn Botsford’s seat vacated, paving the way to find a replacement. Applications for the empty council seat are now being taken by the City of Molalla and will run until Aug. 15.

From there, the plan is to do interviews at the Aug. 27 work session, then if the Council has a candidate they like, consider an appointment at the Aug.  27 regular meeting.

Botsford was arrested May 13 on a slew of charges handed down by a grand jury for alleged financial irregularities that came to light during her time as treasurer for the Molalla River School District PAC.

Because of potential conflicts with her duties as a city councilor, the Molalla Police Department requested help from the Canby Police Department to investigate the case. On May 13, Botsford was arrested in the morning with questions of what happened to about $20,000 hanging over her head after a 10-month investigation.

On June 11, Botsford sent in her notice of resignation to Molalla City Hall, a decision that Mayor Scott Keyser had called for, then applauded when it was done.