BAKERSFIELD, Calif. — The Kern County Grand Jury has proposed a new selection process in choosing members of the Citizen Oversight Committee.

The Grand Jury is recommending that the Bakersfield City Council hold random drawings from applicants to select future members of the committee to "ensure fairness and transparency in the selection process."

On February 6, each council member voted for nine applicants on the first ballot. Then those applicants who received four or more votes were automatically given a position on the Citizen Oversight Committee. Those applicants who did not receive any votes were eliminated.

The committee was established to help decide how to spend millions of dollars raised by the city's one-cent tax increase.