The Woodland City Council didn’t waste any time finding a replacement for Scott Perry, who recently announced plans to resign his seat this spring.
On Monday, the councilors threw their unanimous approval behind longtime Woodland resident Mike Benjamin to fill Perry’s seat immediately. Four residents applied for the position, and only two showed up Monday night for interviews before the council made its decision.
Benjamin, 67, has called Woodland home for the past 39 years. Before retiring in 2007, he spent 31 years working for the Cowlitz Public Utility District, where he was the director of accounting and information services.
Benjamin’s seat will up for grabs at the end of the year, but he plans to run for election in November to hold on to the position. Benjamin also says he’s an active member of his church and a local homeowners’ association.
Perry, a 73-year-old real estate broker, had served on the council since 2011. He won the position in a coin flip, and he said he recently grew frustrated with juggling two jobs.
