Cori Schumacher takes Carlsbad District 1 seat

NORTH COUNTY

CARLSBAD

Carlsbad Councilwoman Cori Schumacher was sworn in Tuesday to fill the District 1 seat left vacant by the resignation last fall of former Councilwoman Barbara Hamilton.

It was the city’s first-ever virtual ceremony, conducted online, with council members and city staffers all at separate locations because of distancing precautions to prevent the spread of COVID-19.

Hamilton was the first person ever elected to the city’s newly created District 1 seat in 2018. Schumacher was elected in 2016, which was Carlsbad’s last year of at-large council elections. As a resident of District 1, Schumacher would have been off the council at the end of her term this year had she not won the special election March 3.

Schumacher’s election to the vacancy means the council could continue with a vacant seat until the November election, when council members representing Districts 2 and 4 will be elected for the first time. Another special election is unlikely because of the expense and the short time left in the term.

Final results certified by the San Diego County registrar of voters show Schumacher received 47.9 percent of votes cast in her district. Tracy Carmichael had 39.26 percent, and Simon Angel had 12.84 percent.

Carmichael, in a letter read at Tuesday’s meeting, asked the council to appoint someone to the remainder of Schumacher’s at-large term. However, the council did not discuss the vacancy.

A proposal to appropriate $3 million for actions related to COVID-19 responses was postponed to April 14 after a 2-2 vote, with Schumacher and Councilwoman Priya Bhat-patel supporting the delay.

Schumacher asked for staffers to report weekly by department how the COVID-19 money is spent.

Councilman Keith Blackburn said weekly reports were not necessary, and that reports every two weeks, when the council meets, or monthly would be sufficient. Mayor Matt Hall agreed.

A staff report on the financial impacts of the COVID-19 crisis will be presented at the council’s April 14 meeting.

Cities across the United States are seeing their sales tax and hotel room tax revenue plummet because of closures required to prevent the spread of the novel coronavirus.