A vacant seat on the Redlands City Council was filled Tuesday with the appointment of former Planning Commission Chairman John James. James was selected out of 13 applicants following a 4-hour presentation and interview session. During the process, the applicants were asked about topics such as homelessness, reserves, economic development and infrastructure needs. Council members then ranked their top candidates.
“It was an interesting process, a very entertaining process at times and those other candidates who went through this certainly know that,” James said. “All the candidates for council were very qualified. I am very, very honored to have been selected. We will certainly do our duty to represent all the people in Redlands.”
James is the owner of GEM Power, LLC, which provides battery charging technology. In addition to his work on the Planning Commission, James has served as president of the Redlands Chamber of Commerce and chair of the Airport Advisory Board. He has also served on the Mayor’s Blue Ribbon Committee, the Utilities Advisory Committee, and the Public Benefit Resources Committee.
James is replacing Pete Aguilar who was elected to represent the 31st District in the U.S. House of Representatives in November. Last month, the council opted to forgo a special election, which would have incurred a cost of around $88,000.
Read more about James’ appointment here.