Bever, Mansoor switch seats

There were few surprises at the Costa Mesa City Council meeting Wednesday night, when Mayor Pro Tem Eric Bever — a close political ally of Mayor Allan Mansoor — was elected to take over the outgoing mayor’s responsibilities.

While Councilwoman Linda Dixon expressed some concern with Councilwoman Katrina Foley’s absence, she eventually joined the rest of the board in supporting Bever’s candidacy with a 4-0 vote.

Mansoor said the decision to step down was his own, noting that he “simply (feels) it’s time to allow someone else to take on the position of mayor.”

“I’m very grateful for having the opportunity to serve in this capacity, and I want to thank the public for their support,” he said. “I have no doubt in my mind that, should he be approved for the position, (Bever) will do a good job for the city…and take us in the right direction.”

Bever, now sitting in the mayor’s seat, thanked the board for its support.

“I want to thank my peers up on this dais that were able to attend this meeting,” Mayor Bever said after the vote. “I’m honored to be mayor, and will do my best to serve this community to the best of my ability.”

Further controversy followed the unanimous vote when Bever nominated the outgoing mayor to replace him as mayor pro tem.

Councilwoman Linda Dixon, who nominated Foley for the position, said she felt uncomfortable voting to have an outgoing mayor serve in another leadership position.

“(Mansoor) has made it perfectly clear in the newspaper that he’d like to see other people serve on the position up here,” she said. “With that being said, it’s only right that we allow someone else to serve as pro tem also. Foley would do a good job, and I think she would be happy to serve.”

Members of the public rose both to praise the outgoing mayor and to express their objection to the board voting on a new mayor with an absent Councilwoman.

“I agree with Linda Dixon,” Costa Mesa resident Rachel Perez-Hamilton said. “I think this is too important of a decision to make with a council member missing.”

Mansoor was nevertheless voted in as the city’s Mayor Pro Tem in a 3-1 vote, with only Dixon dissenting.

Some observers have suggested that the mayor’s premature departure from his second term may be an effort to improve Bever’s chances of re-election in 2008.

Bever, Leece and Mansoor frequently compose a 3-2 majority on controversial issues, and an electoral loss for any of them could mean the reversal of many of the council’s initiatives.

Mansoor seemed to downplay the significance of the shuffling, however, saying that the move was nothing more than a simple reorganization that should not necessitate full attendance of the board.

“I think this issue has been beaten like a dead horse in the Daily Pilot, and it’s no different than any other city going through reorganization,” he said. “For some reason the paper wants to make this a big deal, but it’s really not.”

Efforts to reach Katrina Foley after the meeting were unsuccessful.

CHRIS CAESAR may be reached at (714) 966-4626 or at chris.caesar@latimes.com.