Faced with an empty mayor’s seat, Fairfield’s six City Council members reached into their previous ranks Tuesday to appoint a successor to Mayor Catherine “Cat” Moy, who abruptly resigned a week ago.
The council voted 5-1 to name former council member Rick Vaccaro as mayor of Fairfield, finishing out Moy’s term until the Nov. 3 election. Vaccaro, who wasn’t present at the meeting, represented District 4 from 2011-2024.
City Attorney David Lim said he didn’t recommend appointing a mayor for the community of 120,000 outright, as “it would not allow the council to consider all interested parties.”
Vaccaro, who previously held the post of vice mayor, is currently director of the Solano County Office of Education’s Alternative Education division.
Pam Bertani, who represents District 4, had been named acting mayor after Moy’s departure. Moy’s term was set to expire Nov. 3, Lim said. Three council seats are also up for election.
Lim presented three options for the council to fill the empty seat: Receiving applications for the role; appointing an individual that night; or leaving the seat open until the Nov. 3 election, with Bertani staying on.
Karen Rees, Fairfield’s city clerk, said she would confirm Vaccaro’s appointment in the morning. Rees, herself surprised, said she wasn’t exactly sure what the process would be or when Vaccaro might come to work.
In her 12 years as clerk, she said, “I’ve never been in this situation.”
Council member Doug Carr proposed the option to appoint Vaccaro, a move quickly backed by council members K. Patrice Williams and Doriss Paduro, all citing the need for a seventh council member amidst a heavy workload.
“He unites us,” said Paduro, motioning to vote. “He’s not divisive. And he has a vision to move us forward.”
Bertani dissented. “This is not a ‘no’ against Rick,” she said. “We have a scheduled election in five months. Let the voters decide.”
“We’re not taking away anyone’s vote,” Tonnesen responded, noting that regardless of the appointment, the role will be up for election in November.
“All the things going on in this city — we’ve been going through a lot here on this dais,” Carr said. “This gives us a pressure valve.”
At least two Fairfield residents have thrown their hats into the ring for mayor: Nikila Walker Gibson, Tri-City NAACP president, filed a Candidate Intention Statement with the Fairfield City Clerk in May, and Deana Morad, a federal contracting officer and Republican who started fundraising for her campaign last May.
Gibson Walker spoke Tuesday in a comment that doubled as a campaign speech, noting the city’s $12 million deficit and stating the need for “a clear vision for Fairfield’s future.”
“I respectfully urge council to leave the mayor’s seat vacant,” she said. “The most democratic path is to allow the community to make that decision.”
Moy attributed her resignation to an ongoing probe into her status as a legal resident of Fairfield, which called her role as mayor into question.