Rather than hold a special election to fill its vacant seat, the City Council of Orange, California, has appointed a new councilmember for District 3. Kathy Tavoularis, director of community and government relations for the Orange County Auditor-Controller’s Office, will fill the seat vacated by Mike Alvarez following a judge’s ruling that his recent election violated the city’s two-term limit. The April 13 decision to appoint Tavoularis—rather than hold a special election in November for an estimated cost of $150,000—received criticism from councilmembers Arianna Barrios and Ana Gutierrez, and nearly all of those who offered public comments. Tavoularis told The Epoch Times she had no concerns being appointed because she is dedicated to the city and residents of Orange. “I will put my all into helping Orange become better,” she said via email. “I think our first concern is public safety and helping our citizens and businesses navigate back to …