BLUE FOLDER ITEM
Blue folder items are additional back up material to administrative reports and/or public comments received after the printing and distribution of the agenda packet for receive and file.
CITY COUNCIL MEETING
JUNE 2, 2026
P.1 DISCUSSION AND CONSIDERATION TO ADOPT A RESOLUTION
APPOINTING A NEW MAYOR PRO TEM, DELEGATES AND
ALTERNATES AS OFFICIAL REPRESENTATIVES OF THE CITY FOR
FISCAL YEAR 2026-2027
CONTACT: Eleanor Manzano
• Public Communications
Termed Out, Representation, and Equal Treatment
To the Mayor and Members of the City Council:
I would like to raise a question concerning representation and the way the term “termed out” is sometimes used in local government.
Over the years, I have heard elected officials and members of the public describe certain councilmembers as “termed out” once they have entered their final four-year term of office. While I understand the political meaning of that phrase, I have become concerned about how it may affect public expectations regarding representation.
The City Charter states that each member of the City Council shall serve until that member’s successor is elected and qualified. In other words, a councilmember remains a fully empowered member of the City Council throughout the entirety of their term. Their voting power does not diminish.
Their responsibilities do not diminish. Their obligation to represent their constituents does not diminish.
Yet I have personally heard a councilmember tell constituents that because they were termed out, there was not much they could do to advance a matter.
As a resident, I found this discouraging. The statement suggested that a councilmember’s ability to advocate for their constituents had somehow been reduced because they were nearing the end of their service. If a councilmember remains fully empowered until their successor is elected and qualified, why should constituents ever be told that their representative has diminished ability to advocate because they are “termed out”? This raises an important question. If a councilmember remains a fully empowered representative until the end of their term, why should constituents receive less advocacy or attention simply because their representative is serving a final term? The residents of that district still pay taxes. They still vote. They still deserve representation. Their concerns do not become less important simply because their councilmember is not seeking reelection.
The issue becomes even more troubling when viewed through the lens of equal treatment. I also respectfully ask the City Council to clarify whether all councilmembers are entitled to the same opportunities, recognition, access to staff support, constituent advocacy, and participation in long-standing practices throughout the entirety of their terms. Residents should not have to wonder whether political alignment or future electoral prospects affect the level of representation their district receives.
Throughout the years, some councilmembers who were serving their final terms appeared to retain influence, recognition, and opportunities within City Hall. Others appeared to be treated differently. This creates the perception that political influence is determined not by the office itself, but by political alignment, relationships, or the favor of the current majority.
Representative government should not function this way. The office belongs to the district, not the officeholder. Every district deserves the same level of representation regardless of whether its councilmember is in their first term, second term, final term, or politically aligned with the majority.
This concern connects to a broader question that has been raised repeatedly in recent years. Are all districts treated equally? Are all councilmembers held to the same standards? Are long-standing practices applied consistently, or are they modified depending upon who benefits?
The purpose of regular order is to ensure fairness, predictability, and equal treatment. It protects both majority and minority viewpoints. It prevents government from becoming dependent upon personalities, factions, or temporary political advantages. When residents see different standards applied to different officials, confidence in government begins to erode.
The phrase “elections have consequences” is often used to justify policy decisions made by a majority. That is a legitimate part of representative government. However, elections should never determine whether one district receives less representation than another, whether one councilmember’s voice matters less than another’s, or whether certain residents are entitled to less advocacy because their representative is politically inconvenient.
I respectfully ask the City Council to reaffirm a simple principle: every councilmember serves with full authority until the end of their term, and every district deserves equal representation regardless of political alignment or future electoral prospects.
Public trust depends upon residents believing that the same standards apply to everyone. If representative government is to remain fair and just, those principles must be honored consistently and without exception.
Does a district lose representation because its councilmember is in a final term, or does the district remain fully entitled to vigorous representation until the very last day of that term?
I respectfully ask the City Council to answer that question and reaffirm that every district in Redondo Beach deserves equal representation regardless of political alignment, seniority, or future electoral prospects.
Patrick J. Healy
Redondo Beach, District 1