ERIK PETERSON is sworn in as Huntington Beach’s 81st mayor at Monday night’s meeting of the city council, as family members look on (City of HB photo by Julie Toledo, public information officer).

Erik Peterson was sworn in Monday night as Huntington Beach’s 81st mayor at a meeting of the city council. He had been mayor pro tem.

Lyn Semeta was sworn in as mayor pro tem, and Michael Gates as city attorney.

The mayor is not elected by voters in Huntington Beach, but is instead selected for a one-year term among and by members of the council. The formula for selecting mayor and mayor pro tem includes vote totals and rotation in office, although the council can skip those guidelines if it so chooses.

Peterson was first elected to the city council in 2014. He owns and operates a company in the interconnect/networking industry with its central office in Huntington Beach.

He enlisted in the U.S. Marine Corps in 1991, serving five years. Locally he has been a Scoutmaster, a member of the city Finance Board, the Design/Review Board and Planning Commission.

He and his wife Brandi have two sons.