The Cypress City Council will hold a special meeting after Thanksgiving to fill a vacant at-large seat, after the candidate initially appointed to the council withdrew his application last week.
The City Council had previously selected Quintin Bentley, a Recreation and Community Services commissioner, in a 3-1 vote from among seven finalists interviewed during a special meeting on Nov. 19.
He withdrew his application prior to being sworn in, saying in a phone interview, “I think there are more qualified people out there for it, and that’s what the city deserves.”
Councilmember Kyle Chang said some community members had raised concerns about Bentley’s qualifications, though he declined to elaborate.
When asked if Council members also had concerns, Chang said Bentley withdrew before the city was able to conduct a further review of his background, and he said he was “grateful” the council has time to make a new selection.
Bentley said his resume was intended to be a summary of a decade’s worth of related experience and acknowledged it “was worded in a confusing way.” He said he has since updated it “to avoid any misunderstandings moving forward.”
The City Council expects to pick a candidate at its special meeting on Friday, Nov. 28, just two days shy of a deadline that would require the city to hold a special election to fill the seat. If that occurred, the election would be delayed until April 2026 and could cost as much as $950,000, according to city officials.
The vacant City Council seat was previously held by Scott Minikus, who retired in October. The appointee will serve out the remainder of Minikus’s term, which runs through November 2026.
The Council will now consider five finalists — all of them women — to fill the vacant council seat. They reflect a diverse range of candidates, including two former Council members, with experience in education, business and public service.
Here is a look at their backgrounds, based on their candidate applications submitted to the City Council.
• Candi Kern: An educator with a background in bilingual education, governance and advocacy, Kern has worked as a legislative advocate on the California State PTA Board, which oversees more than 400 schools in Orange County. She served on the Cypress School District Board of Trustees for over a decade, including two terms as president, and has also been PTA president at several schools, including Vessels Elementary, Lexington Junior High and Cypress High School.
• Anne Mallari: A nonprofit executive and CEO of We Care Orange County, Mallari is a former City Council member and served one year as the Cypress mayor. Her work centers on community support and youth services, including programs for at-risk children. She previously served as CEO of the Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Anaheim–Cypress and has held leadership roles with the Landell Elementary School PTA and the Cypress School District PTA.
• Frances Marquez: A political science professor and former City Council member who served from 2020 to 2024. Her platform is centered on increasing transparency and inclusion in city government, with proposals such as establishing an Office of Contract Compliance, expanding disability access at city facilities, and creating a support program for seniors who need assistance.
• Claudia Nessary: An active community volunteer, Nessary previously served as a commissioner for the Cypress Senior Center and as a volunteer board member for the Anaheim First Church of the Nazarene. Her vision for Cypress centers on public safety, responsible growth, good governance and fostering community by increasing access to intergenerational programs and volunteer opportunities.
• Rachel Strong: A former Senior Citizens commissioner and City Council candidate, Strong has 18 years of experience as a youth mentor and as a small business owner at Strong Dance Studios. She believes Cypress’s next chapter should focus on ensuring that city decisions support and consider both youth and senior residents, and she emphasized the importance of selecting the right city manager.
In Cypress, residents who have served eight or more years on the city council are not eligible for re-election. Mallari and Marquez are both eligible to rejoin the dais, having served less than five years each.
On Monday evening, Bill Wosternberg, who was another finalist, also withdrew his application.
A retired business and project management executive, Wosternberg said he has a deep love for Cypress and saw an opportunity to help guide a transition and assist with the hiring of a new city manager. But since submitting his application in late October, Wosternberg said he “was not happy with how things were progressing.”
In an email sent to the City Council and city clerk on Nov. 24, Wosternberg wrote, “I’ve found several council members to be ill-prepared and not forthcoming with factual data and logical arguments to support their recommendations, motions, and votes. These are the same people Cypress residents are relying on to hire new city leaders, including a new City Manager. I’ve determined that I cannot in good conscience serve on the council with these members.”
A Cypress city spokesperson declined to comment on Wosternberg’s criticisms.
The special meeting to fill the vacant seat will be held on Nov. 28 at 4 p.m. Residents can attend in person at the council chambers or online.