BACKGROUND:
The Charter of Cathedral City provides that the City Council at the first meeting in December each year, shall appoint a Council Member to serve as Mayor for a one-year period on a rotating basis. After the City Council appoints the Mayor, at the first meeting in December each year, the Council shall appoint a Council Member to serve as Mayor Pro Tem for a one-year period on a rotating basis. The process for appointment of the Mayor and Mayor Pro Tem shall be implemented by ordinance of the City Council in accordance with this section.
Ordinance 790, adopted in 2017, added Section 2.04.180 to the Municipal Code establishing the procedure for filling the positions of Mayor and Mayor Pro Tem on a rotating basis based on seniority. Section 2.04.180 was subsequently amended by Ordinance 851 adopted on September 29, 2021.
DISCUSSION:
Section 2.04.180 provides the following:
2. 04. 180 Appointment of Mayor and Mayor Pro Tem
A. The purpose of this section is to implement a rotating system for appointing council members to the honorary positions of Mayor and Mayor Pro Tem pursuant to Section 603 of the City Charter. The appointment of individuals to serve as Mayor and Mayor Pro Tem must follow the requirements of this section.
B. At the first city council meeting in December of each calendar year, the city council shall approve a council rotation list and appoint council members to serve as Mayor and Mayor Pro Tem based on the approved rotation list. The rotation list shall be prepared in accordance with the following:
1. The current Mayor Pro Tem shall succeed to the position of Mayor. The outgoing Mayor shall go to the bottom of the rotation list, except that in a regular election year any newly-elected first-term council member (not an incumbent re-elected to serve) shall be placed behind the outgoing Mayor on the rotation list. The council member in third position on the rotation list shall move into the Mayor Pro Tem position.
2. If an individual is appointed to fill, or a special election is held to fill, a council vacancy, the appointed or elected individual shall be placed at the bottom of the rotation list. Any council members who were below the outgoing council member on the rotation list shall move up one spot.
3. A council member shall not serve as Mayor or Mayor Pro Tem during their first year on the City Council.
Following is the new rotation list prepared in accordance with the provisions of the code:
1. Rita Lamb – Took office September 25, 2019
2. Mark Carnevale – served as Mayor in 2019
3. Nancy Ross – Took office December 8, 2020
4. Raymond Gregory – Served as Mayor in 2021
5. Ernesto Gutierrez – Served as Mayor in 2022
Based on the provisions of Section 2.04.180 of the Municipal Code, the City Council shall appoint Rita Lamb as Mayor and Mark Carnevale as Mayor Pro Tem with terms running until the first Council meeting in December 2023.
FISCAL IMPACT:
None.