Council making Noyes for mayor

Noaki Schwartz

NEWPORT BEACH -- It appears the city’s next mayor will be City Councilman

John Noyes, who has the necessary four votes to win the seat, said

sources at City Hall.

City Council members will take the formal vote for the largely ceremonial

mayor and vice mayor posts, both one-year positions, on Nov. 22.

Mayor Dennis O’Neil said he does not want to run again.

“I believe it’s appropriate to step aside each year to rotate the

position,” he said.

Besides O’Neil, two senior council members -- Jan Debay and Norma Glover

-- have opted not to run for mayor. That leaves senior council members

Noyes and Tom Thomson, and the council’s newest members, Gary Adams and

Tod Ridgeway.

However, Adams and Ridgeway have a lack of seniority that traditionally

keeps council members from being chosen.

That leaves Noyes and Thomson as the main choices for the job.

“I haven’t thought about it,” said a tight-lipped Noyes. “We’ll have to

see how the politics gel.”

City Hall sources say that gel has already hardened and that Noyes has

all the votes he needs.

Thomson, who as vice mayor still could provide Noyes with stiff

competition, could not be reached for comment.

While the vote for mayor is shaping up, it is still unclear who might

become vice mayor. Unlike the mayor’s seat, it could go to one of the

junior members, Adams or Ridgeway.

Adams said he would accept the job and would be interested eventually in

becoming mayor.

“I’m not interested in being mayor right now,” Adams said. “I don’t have

time to do it justice.”

Ridgeway declined to comment.