Mayor, pro tem to be picked

By Daniel Moreau/Orange County Tribune

Who will be the next mayor of Huntington Beach? And who will be “on deck” as the mayor pro tempore?  Those answers may be solved at Tuesday’s meeting of the city council.

The agenda calls for an election to fill those two posts, typically for a one-year term. Tony Strickland is the current mayor, is considered the “outgoing” mayor and is scheduled to do a retrospective and make and receive presentations to colleagues and from council members.

If the council follows a resolution approved in 1991, Strickland would be succeeded by current Mayor Pro Tem Gracey Van Der Mark. The pro tem post goes to the council member with the longest consecutive city council service or who has the most votes in the last election.

Natalie Moser and Dan Kalmick would be the longest-serving council members.

But it doesn’t have to be the way. The council has the discretion to disregard the resolution, as it sometimes has. The current council majority has overturned previous council policies since it took office after the 2022 election.

The council will meet at 6 p.m. in its council chambers at 2000 Main St. (at Yorktown Avenue).

Note: Correcting who are the longest-serving council members.