Mayor Pro Tem to Be Selected, Not Rotated

The City Council has rescinded a 4-year-old policy that rotated the role of mayor pro tem based on seniority among council members. Now, the post will be selected by popular vote of the council.

The council vote Tuesday was 3 to 2, with Councilmen Tom Tait and Bob Zemel opposing the move. Zemel, who has seniority but has not yet served as mayor pro tem, would have been next in line for the one-year post.

The council Tuesday is expected to consider selecting a new mayor pro tem to replace Councilman Lou Lopez.

Under the city’s charter, the mayor pro tem performs the duties of the elected mayor during his absence or disability.

The rotation had been adopted in 1992 to avoid “petty politics,” Tait said.

“The seniority rotation kept us from fighting. It was the one thing that forced us to behave,” Zemel said.

Mayor Tom Daly said he suggested abandoning the rotation because “I thought the post should not be guaranteed, it should be earned.”

Lopez and Councilwoman Shirley McCracken also voted in favor of deleting the policy.