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City attorney outlines Glendale mayoral-selection rules; council discusses possible ordinance revisions
Summary
City Attorney Michael Garcia briefed council on municipal code section 2.04.020 governing mayoral selection, including the seniority order, a "best interest" clause, and limits tied to council members' terms; council members discussed potential ordinance changes and scheduling of mayoral selection to align with post‑election seating.
The Glendale City Council held an extended discussion on April 1 about the municipal code that governs selection of the mayor (Glendale Municipal Code §2.04.020). City Attorney Michael Garcia summarized the code’s order of precedence and the scope of the section’s "best interest" clause and explained how a recent court interpretation treats mayoral selection as a legislative act that affords the council broad discretion.
Garcia explained the ordinance’s order of precedence: the council member with the longest continuous uninterrupted service since last serving as mayor is next in line, with tie-breakers based on vote totals. He also described restrictions in the code barring a council member from being selected mayor if their term will expire in the same year the mayoral term would expire, and a separate sentence that references a 180‑day timing window. Garcia told council that, while these provisions exist, the "best interest" clause has been read to give the council latitude to decline to appoint the council member next in line and instead select another member.
Council members discussed whether the selection date should be moved to occur after election results are certified so newly elected members could participate; Council members noted other cities have aligned mayoral selection to post-election reorganizations. Several council members asked legal clarifications about how the code’s timing and the 180‑day language operate when statewide primary dates shift between March and June in different election years.
Council Member Marat Kasakian publicly announced he will not accept appointment as mayor in April 2025, removing himself from the automatic order of precedence for the upcoming selection. Several council members and callers urged adherence to the ordinance’s seniority approach and urged a process that avoids the controversies experienced during prior reorganizations; others supported staff returning with proposed ordinance language to clarify seniority, the last‑year limit, and to narrow the scope of the "best interest" clause.
No ordinance change was adopted at the meeting; Garcia said staff will return with sample revisions if the council directs further action. Councilmembers also discussed the possibility of amending the municipal code to shift the mayoral-selection date so it falls after certified election results and incoming members are seated, which would require an ordinance change.
