The Cypress City Council appointed Rachel Strong, a small business owner and former Council candidate, in a 3-1 vote during a special meeting held Friday, Nov. 28, to fill an open seat.
The at-large seat, which falls under District 5, had been vacant for nearly two months following the resignation of Scott Minikus, who retired in October for an out-of-state job opportunity. Strong will serve out the remainder of Minikus’ term, through November 2026.
“This is officially my fifth bid to try to get this position,” Strong said. “To me, that doesn’t constitute a story of defeat. It’s one of commitment. It shows that I don’t give up on serving a city or on the people who live here.
Strong is a former Senior Citizens commissioner and the CEO of Strong Dance Studios.
She said she was honored to be considered for the open spot and outlined her priorities, which included recruiting and selecting an “excellent city manager;” paying down the police pension while maintaining a balanced budget; reimagining green spaces with youth in mind to create places that “keep them engaged, safe and connected;” and pursuing “a future that includes affordable housing to safeguard our local seniors and to attract young families with kids.”
The City Council will be interviewing the final candidates considered for the City Manager position, following the resignation of longtime staffer Peter Grant earlier this year. Applications for the role closed on Nov. 24.
Strong, said Councilmember Kyle Chang, has “been a staple of the community for many years” and has demonstrated she’s willing to work with those on either side of the aisle.
“And in the coming year, I believe her strong commitment to providing services and programs for our diverse community will inspire thoughtful updates to our own services and programs that will reflect the diversity of our city,” Chang said.
Councilmember Bonnie Peat, the lone dissenting vote against Strong, said she was concerned with appointing a candidate without prior city experience when there were candidates with more institutional knowledge.
Mayor David Burke said it was unfortunate that the special meeting fell on the day after Thanksgiving, but said the city had a “legal deadline to meet.” If the City Council failed to reach a majority vote on a candidate to fill the vacant position by Nov. 30, Cypress would be required to hold a special election, which wouldn’t be held until April 2026.
Friday’s decision was the second time the Council had voted on a candidate, after its initial appointee, Quintin Bentley, withdrew his application after being selected.
During more than an hour of public comment, various speakers expressed frustration with the Council over what they considered to be a failure to properly vet or run background checks on candidates.
Some residents spoke in favor of appointing candidates with prior Council experience. But several speakers also spoke in support of Strong, including parents and teachers, who detailed her contributions to children and the school community.
In all, 16 people submitted an application for the open role, and the City Council considered five on Friday evening. Aside from Strong, they included legislative advocate Candi Kern, former Mayor Anne Mallari, former Councilmember Frances Marquez, and community volunteer Claudia Nessary.