Chances looking good for Curry

Newport Beach Mayor Ed Selich could hand over his gavel after two consecutive terms, or he could stay put when the City Council selects who will be mayor in the coming year.

As mayor pro-tem, Councilman Keith Curry is the heir apparent for the mayor’s job. During Curry’s three years as councilman for Newport’s District 7, he has taken a lead role in analyzing the city’s finances.

Curry declined to speculate on what might happen at Tuesday’s meeting when reached by phone Thursday.

Curry chairs the city’s finance committee, and, as a member of the facilities financing committee, helped develop a plan to build new city parks and other municipal facilities over the next 15 years.

The City Council also could decide to vote Selich in for a third term.

There is nothing in the council’s rules that prevents a council member from serving four consecutive terms as mayor during a four-year council term, Newport Beach Deputy City Clerk Lillian Washington said Thursday.

Selich has enjoyed relative popularity during his two terms as mayor. He’s gained a reputation as a consensus builder on the council, and has pursued an aggressive timetable on the city’s plans to build a massive new civic center and park in Newport Center.

On Thursday, the mayor could not immediately be reached for comment.

While the mayoral position holds no special privileges or powers, he or she can work to set goals and a general tone for the council.

The mayor also is a figurehead of sorts for the city.

The mayoral duties typically rotate among council members on an annual basis, with the previous year’s mayor pro-tem usually advancing to the mayor seat, but the process isn’t entirely predictable.

Last December, the council selected Selich to serve a second term as mayor, passing over Councilwoman Lesile Daigle, who was mayor pro-tem.

Like Curry, Daigle declined to comment on Thursday about whom the council might select as mayor next week.

According to the city’s procedural rules, the Council is supposed to make its decision on who will be mayor in open session by majority vote.