Miley has not decided which candidate will fill a third seat; however, the runner-ups for that seat are Mark Peterson, Linda Tangren, and Michael Baldwin, a member of Castro Valley Matters who has written extensively about municipal advisory councils and local governance issues for the Castro Valley Matters blog.

At the two-hour group interview on Wednesday night, 14 applicants were interviewed by Miley, his staff, MAC Chair Marc Crawford, MAC Vice Chair Cheryl Miraglia, and two members of Miley’s personal “cabinet,” a group of community members who advise the Supervisor. The questions included:

• What is your involvement in County Government?
• What do you like about Castro Valley, and what would you try to improve as a MAC member?
• How many MAC meetings have you attended in the past year?
• What is your definition of the role of Government?
• Have you read the Castro Valley General and/or Specific Plans?
• How much time could you commit monthly to being a MAC member?
• How would you solve problems brought to you as a MAC member by community members?
• What is an ordinance you would like to see changed and/or initiated in Castro Valley?
• What specific skills can you bring to the MAC?

Susan Teague, who regularly attends MAC meetings, was one of two members of the public in the audience, along with East Bay Municipal Utility District Director Frank Mellon. “It seemed like a diverse group of candidates,”Teague said. “Some of the potential candidates will add new energy and perspective.”

Originally, the public was not invited to observe the interviews, but Miley, in a note to the Castro Valley News Facebook page on Wednesday said, “Normally I don’t do interviews in a public setting and normally I do these interviews myself […] If the public sits in the candidates may be uncomfortable but I don’t care if the public observes. I will ultimately make the decision based on the interviews and feedback from my advisors, staff, and Mac Chair & Vice Chair.”

“I was glad to had the opportunity to observe this process of the question and answer of each candidate,” Teague said. “I would have like to see more CV residents have the opportunity to see this process in action.”

Mellon said that the interview process was “Very professionally done with courtesy to all the applicants.”

The law that created MACs allows for them to be either elected or appointed – Alameda County’s Board of Supervisor’s opted for an appointed Castro Valley MAC when it was established.