CITY COUNCIL
PACKET
Special Meeting 2:00 PM
Wednesday, December 10, 2025
City Council Chambers
68-700 Avenida Lalo Guerrero
Cathedral City, CA 92234
MAYOR
Nancy Ross
CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS
Mayor Pro Tem
Raymond Gregory
Councilmember
Rita Lamb
Councilmember
Ernesto Gutierrez
Councilmember
Vacant
CALL TO ORDER
ROLL CALL
AGENDA FINALIZATION
1. LEGISLATIVE ACTIONS
A. Appointment of Mayor and Mayor Pro Tem
Recommendation: To appoint Raymond Gregory to serve as Mayor and Ernesto Gutierrez to serve as Mayor Pro Tem, pursuant to Section
2.04.180 of the Cathedral City Municipal Code.
B. Oath of Office for Mayor and Mayor Pro Tem
Recommendation: The City Clerk will administer the oath of office to the newly appointed Mayor and Mayor Pro Tem.
2. SPECIAL PRESENTATION
A. Special Recognition of outgoing Mayor, Nancy Ross
Recommendation: There is no Staff Recommendation.
3. PUBLIC COMMENTS
This is the opportunity for members of the public to comment on any items not appearing on the regular agenda. Because of restrictions contained in California Law, the City Council may not discuss or act on any item not on the agenda but may briefly respond to statements made or ask a question for clarification. The Mayor may also request a brief response from staff to questions raised during public comment or may request a matter be agendized for a future meeting. Public Comment will be limited to three (3) minutes.
ADJOURNMENT
NOTES TO THE PUBLIC
The City of Cathedral City complies with the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990. If you require special assistance to participate in this meeting, please call the City Clerk’s Office at (760) 770-0322 at least 48 hours prior to the meeting.
If you desire to address the City Council during the meeting, please complete a Request to Speak Form available at the entrance and present it to the City Clerk. Speakers will be called upon at the appropriate time.
Written Comments will be accepted until 2:00 p.m. on the day of the meeting. Written comments may be submitted via email, letter, or other forms of written communication.
To email comments please email to [email protected].
Hard copies of written comments and any other document will be provided to the City Council and made available for the general public to review. All written comments received by the submission deadline will be made part of the official record. The meeting minutes will include: The name of the individual submitting the comment and a brief statement summarizing the content of the comment.
Submitted Written Comments will not be read into the record during the meeting.
Staff Report
City Council
Item No. 1.A
Meeting Date: December 10, 2025
From: Tracey Hermosillo, City Clerk
Title: Appointment of Mayor and Mayor Pro Tem
RECOMMENDATION:
To appoint Raymond Gregory to serve as Mayor and Ernesto Gutierrez to serve as Mayor Pro Tem, pursuant to Section 2.04.180 of the Cathedral City Municipal Code.
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 appointments 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
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.
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 members 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:
Raymond Gregory – Served as Mayor in 2021
Ernesto Gutierrez – Served as Mayor in 2022
Rita Lamb – Seved as Mayor in 2023
Nancy Ross – Served as Mayor in 2025
Vacant City Council Seat
Based on the provisions of Section 2.04.180 of the Municipal Code, the City Council shall appoint Raymond Gregory to serve as Mayor and Ernesto Gutierrez to serve Mayor Pro Tem with terms running until the first Council meeting in December 2026.
FISCAL IMPACT:
There is no fiscal impact with this item.
FIVE-YEAR STRATEGIC PLAN:
Not applicable
ATTACHMENTS:
None