STAFF REPORT
OFFICE OF THE CITY CLERK
DATE: May 19, 2026
TO: Honorable Mayor and City Council
FROM: Dominic Lazzaretto, City Manager
By: Justine Bruno, Deputy City Manager
SUBJECT: APPOINT THE MAYOR AND MAYOR PRO TEM IN ACCORDANCE WITH RESOLUTION NO. 7463
CEQA: Not a Project
Recommendation: Make Appointments
SUMMARY
On December 6, 2022, Eileen Wang was sworn into the Arcadia City Council and held public office until her resignation on May 11, 2026. The resignation of Ms. Wang from the Arcadia City Council creates a vacancy in the Mayoral position and in Arcadia’s District 3 for the balance of the term, which is set to conclude upon the certification of the results of the November 3, 2026, General Municipal Election . In a separate agenda item, the City Council will provide direction on the process they seek to fill the vacancy in District 3 ; however, i n the interim , it is recommended that the City Council appoint a Mayor, and potentially, a Mayor Pro Tempore.
It is recommended that the City Council appoint a new Mayor and Mayor Pro Tem from among the current membership of the City Council, in accordance with Resolution No. 7463.
BACKGROUND
During the General Municipal Election of November 8, 2022, Arcadia voters approved three ballot measures, one of which included amendments to the City’s Charter.
Measure CA included a series of modernizations and updates to the Arcadia City Charter that also included establishing the rotation for the Mayor and Mayor Pro Tempore (“Mayor Pro Tem”). Under the approved Charter amendments, the Mayor Mayor and Mayor Pro Tem Appointments
May 19, 2026
and Mayor Pro Tem position rotate every 9½ months. In anticipation of the passage of the proposed Arcadia City Charter amendments, Resolution No. 7463 was adopted by the City Council on October 4, 2022. Under Resolution No. 7463, the rotation of City Council Members, by district, into the position of Mayor and Mayor Pro Tem was established, as well as the procedures to address resignations and vacancies.
According to Resolution No. 7463, if a City Council Member resigns from the office of Mayor or if there is a vacancy in the district that is to serve as Mayor, then the City Council should select one of its members, by majority vote, to serve as the Mayor for the remainder of the unexpired term. The process outlined under Resolution No. 7463 allows for the new Mayoral appointment to continue to hold office for the remainder of the current 9½-month term. The same process applies to selection of the Mayor Pro Tem.
DISCUSSION
On December 6, 2022, Eileen Wang was sworn into the Arcadia City Council and held public office until her resignation on May 11, 2026. The resignation from the Arcadia City Council creates a vacancy in the Mayoral position and in District 3 for the balance of the term, which is set to conclude upon the certification of the results of the next General Municipal Election. In a separate agenda item, the City Council will provide direction on the process they seek to fill that vacancy.
Due to the vacancy created by the resignation of former Mayor Eileen Wang, a new Mayor should be selected to fill the vacancy of that role from among the current City Council Members. The current Mayoral term began on February 3, 2026, and will conclude upon the certification of the results from the General Municipal Election on November 3, 2026. In previous election cycles, the results of the General Municipal Election have been transmitted to the City Clerk for certification by the City Council prior to the first meeting in December; however, it is possible that more time would be required. Based upon who is selected to fill the Mayoral vacancy, the selected Council Member should expect to serve until December 1, 2026, possibly until December 15, 2026.
If the City Council is unable to reach a consensus on the Mayoral appointment by majority vote, then the Mayor Pro Tempore shall serve as the Acting Mayor until that appointment occurs or the Mayoral term elapses. The City’s current Mayor Pro Tem Mayor and Mayor Pro Tem Appointments
May 19, 2026
is District 4 Council Member Paul Cheng, who would, otherwise, be the next Council Member to rotate into the Mayoral position in December 2026. Continuing with the rotational order established in Resolution No. 7463, the next rotational Mayor Pro Tem in December 2026 would be District 1 Council Member David Fu.
According to Resolution No. 7463, it is recommended that the City Council select a member from among its current body to fill the Mayoral seat for the remainder of the unexpired term, approximately 6 ½ months. If the appointment to the Mayoral seat necessitates the appointment of a new Mayor Pro Tem, it is recommended that the City Council make that appointment as well.
ENVIRONMENTAL ANALYSIS
The proposed action does not constitute a project under the California Environmental Quality Act (“CEQA”), as it can be seen with certainty that it will have no impact on the environment.
FISCAL IMPACT
Fiscal impacts associated with the appointment of a new Mayor and/or Mayor Pro Tem are minimal and can be absorbed within the Fiscal Year 2025 -26 City Council Operating Budget.
RECOMMENDATION
It is recommended that the City Council determine that th is action is not a project under the California Environmental Quality Act (“CEQA”); and appoint a Mayor and Mayor Pro Tem from among the current City Council, in accordance with Resolution No. 7463.
Attachment No. 1: Resolution No. 7463
RESOLUTION NO. 7463
A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF ARCADIA
ESTABLISHING THE ROTATION FOR THE MAYOR AND MAYOR PRO
TEMPORE
WHEREAS, Section 404 of the Charter of the City of Arcadia currently requires the City Council to select a Mayor and Mayor Pro Tempore annually by majority vote of the City Council; and
WHEREAS, pursuant to Resolution No. 7451, the City Council has proposed an amendment to the City Charter, which the City's voters may adopt by approving Measure CA at the November 8, 2022, election; and
WHEREAS, if adopted by the voters, the amendment will modify Section 404 of the Charter to require that the offices of Mayor and Mayor Pro Tempore shall be filled automatically by rotation among the Councilmembers with each serving a term of approximately nine (9) and one-half (1/2) months; and
WHEREAS, if adopted by the voters, the amendment to Section 404 will direct the City Council to establish implementing procedures to enable the automatic rotation of offices; and
WHEREAS, in anticipation of the voters potentially approving Measure CA, the City Council now desires to establish procedures to implement the revised Section 404 so that the Mayoral rotation will be in place when the new City Council is seated; and WHEREAS, the revised Section 404 delegates the responsibility to the City Council to determine appropriate implementing procedures for Mayoral rotation, which includes the power to consider such matters as the order of rotation, procedures for resignation or vacancy, and grounds for removal; and
1 Attachment No. 1
WHEREAS, the City Council finds that such procedures set forth below are consistent with the City Council's proposed revisions to Section 404 of the Charter.
NOW THEREFORE, be it resolved by the City Council of the City of Arcadia as follows:
SECTION 1. Mayoral Rotation. The office of Mayor shall automatically rotate among the five City Council Districts in the following order:
District 4 (December 2022)
District 1 (September 2023)
District 5 (July 2024)
District 2 (April 2025)
District 3 (February 2026)
Reorganization of the City Council shall take place at a regular City Council meeting in the respective month noted above. The rotation shall be in the same order for each subsequent four-year cycle.
SECTION 2. Mayor Pro Tempore. The City Council Member representing the District that is next in line to be Mayor shall serve as Mayor Pro Tempore.
SECTION 3. ResignationNacancy. If a City Council Member declines to take the office of Mayor or resigns from the office of Mayor, or if there is a vacancy in the District that is to serve as Mayor, then the City Council shall select one of its members, by a majority vote, to serve as Mayor for the remaining portion of that 9½ month term. A Mayor selected by the City Council shall continue to hold office for the remainder of the 9½ month term regardless of whether a new Council Member is appointed or elected to fill 2 the vacancy. If the City Council cannot reach a majority vote on selecting a Mayor, the Mayor Pro Tempore shall serve as Mayor.
The terms of this Section 3 shall also apply to the office of Mayor Pro Tempore.
SECTION 4. Removal. If a City Council Member serving as Mayor or Mayor Pro Tempore fails or refuses to perform the duties of office, or receives a formal censure from the City Council, then a supermajority vote of four-fifths (4/5) of the total City Council members may remove the Mayor or Mayor Pro Tempore from the respective office. A simple majority shall then select a different City Council Member to serve as Mayor or Mayor Pro Tempore for the remainder of that 9½ month term.
SECTION 5. Modificat ions. The City Council may, by resolution, modify the implementing policies set forth herein.
SECTION 6. Effective Date. This Resolution shall become effective on December 1, 2022.
[SIGNATURES ON THE NEXT PAGE]
3 Passed, approved, and adopted this 4th day of October, 2022.
ATTEST:
��-Citelerk �
APPROVED AS TO FORM:
��� Stephen P. Deitsch
City Attorney
Mayor of the
4 STATE OF CALIFORNIA )
COUNTY OF LOS ANGELES ) SS:
CITY OF ARCADIA )
I, GENE GLASCO, City Clerk of the City of Arcadia, hereby certifies that the foregoing Resolution No. 7463 was passed and adopted by the City Council of the City of Arcadia, signed by the Mayor and attested to by the City Clerk at a regular meeting of said Council held on the 10th day of October, 2022 and that said Resolution was adopted by the following vote, to wit:
AYES: Danielson, Tay, Verlato, Cheng, and Beck
NOES: None
ABSENT: None
��-= � Clerk of �of Arcadia
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