Terms in question as city greets new mayor

Alicia Robinson

Mayor Gary Monahan will hand over his gavel tonight, but if he gets

his way, his successor will serve as mayor for two years instead of

just one.

The City Council will pick a mayor for 2005 at its meeting

tonight. By tradition it’s likely to be Allan Mansoor, who was mayor

pro tem in 2004, but some council members were noncommittal about

whom they’ll support.

“I expect to [nominate Mansoor as mayor],” Monahan said late last

week. “I don’t know that I will, but I expect to.”

The outgoing mayor does plan to suggest switching the mayor’s term

back to two years. The council decided four years ago to cut the term

in half, a decision Monahan opposed.

“By the time you figure out what you’re doing, your term is up,”

he said. “Quite frankly, it’s a handicap in negotiating with other

mayors in the county and even in statewide politics.”

Mansoor has not yet served as mayor since being elected to the

council in 2002.

“I certainly would be happy to serve as mayor, but I don’t want to

presume anything either,” he said.

Councilwoman Linda Dixon said if Mansoor is nominated she’ll hear

him out.

“I think that from what I’ve seen Allan has done a good job up

there, and if he’s interested in being the mayor, I’d like to hear

why he’s interested and how he would lead the city forward,” she

said.

A new mayor pro tem also will be selected, and one of the hats in

that ring will be Dixon’s. She served on the council from 1998 to

2002 and was mayor the final year of her term.

“I think those positions should be shared among council members,”

she said.

The new mayor will lead the council through some tough issues this

year. The state will take at least $1.9 million from city coffers in

2005, and the council must decide what shape redevelopment will take.

One key task for the mayor will be organizing a council that has new

members, City Manager Allan Roeder said.

“I think that’s a very important leadership role for the new mayor

to take, and that’s an important one when you’ve had the kind of

changeover that we’ve had,” he said.

* ALICIA ROBINSON covers business, politics and the environment.

She may be reached at (714) 966-4626 or by e-mail at

alicia.robinson@latimes.com.