Mansoor expectedly fills mayor’s seat

Alicia Robinson

Allan Mansoor started his third year on the dais Monday night by

getting his first go at the mayor’s job.

The City Council chose Mansoor as mayor for 2005. He replaces Gary

Monahan, who has served two and a half terms as mayor since being

elected to the council in 1994.

“I never expected to be a council member, let alone the mayor, and

this means a lot to me,” Mansoor said.

Monahan was elected mayor pro tem, a role that has been used in

the past to groom a council member for the mayor’s seat the following

year.

That choice was criticized by councilwoman Linda Dixon, who cast

the sole dissenting vote.

“I believe that we are here to share responsibilities, and one

person should not hog all the responsibilities,” Dixon said. “It

seems to me that the boys seem to feel like they should cut off the

girls.”

The mayor will lead what looks to be an interesting mix on the

council this year. Monahan and Mansoor are the only members returning

to the dais since the last term, although Dixon has served before and

was mayor when Mansoor unseated her on the council in 2002.

Newcomers Eric Bever and Katrina Foley have both been active in

local politics and have served on the Planning Commission.

Costa Mesa’s mayor doesn’t have special duties other than chairing

the council meetings, but that can affect who is heard and how public

testimony is taken, City Manager Allan Roeder said.

“It can have a decided impact in terms of the public process,”

Roeder said. “I think it’s far more [about] how the proceedings are

conducted as opposed to what the decision is.”

Giving up the gavel doesn’t mean Monahan plans to move to the

background. He was recently elected as the city’s representative on

the Orange County Transportation Authority Board, and Monday night he

proposed changing mayoral terms back to two years.

The council decided four years ago to shorten the terms from two

to one year. It voted unanimously Monday to have staff members write

an ordinance lengthening the mayor’s term.

* ALICIA ROBINSON covers business, politics and the environment.

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

[email protected].