Cypress City Council appoints Quintin Bentley to fill vacant council seat
(Cypress, Calif.) —In a 3-1 vote, the Cypress City Council has appointed resident Quintin Bentley to fill the at-large council seat vacated by former Council Member Scott Minikus. Bentley, who will be sworn in on Dec. 8, 2025, will serve through the remainder of Minikus’ term, which concludes once the District 5 candidate elected in November 2026 is sworn in.
To fill the vacancy promptly and with community participation, the City Council invited eligible residents to apply. Sixteen residents submitted applications, reflecting strong local interest in public service. After reviewing submissions, the Council invited seven finalists to participate in public interviews conducted on Nov.19, where each candidate responded to a series of pre-published questions. Following extensive deliberation, the City Council appointed Mr. Bentley to the seat.
The City Council chose to move forward with a public appointment process rather than hold a special election, which was estimated to cost up to $950,000 and would not have taken place until April 2026, leaving only seven months remaining in the term.
Bentley currently serves on the City’s Recreation and Community Services Commission and works as a special education teacher at Cypress High School, supporting students across general and special education settings. He has also coached numerous youth and school sports programs. He holds an MBA from California State University, Long Beach, and a Bachelor of Science in applied development psychology from Eastern Washington University.
“We are grateful to all applicants who stepped forward and took part in this process. The high caliber of the applicant pool, and their willingness to serve speaks to the strength of our community,” said Mayor David Burke. “Quintin has an excellent track record of serving others and we look forward to his contributions to Cypress in this new role.”
For more information on City Council meetings and public participation opportunities, visit cypressca.org.
