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Palmdale council appoints Eric Olson as mayor, Austin Bishop as mayor pro tem after contested public comments
Summary
At its first December meeting, the Palmdale City Council voted by voice to appoint Eric Olson as mayor and Austin Bishop as mayor pro tem. Public commenters urged either returning the mayoralty to a direct public election or conducting a public survey; councilors cited ordinance and succession practice in making their choices.
The Palmdale City Council on Tuesday selected Council Member Eric Olson to serve as mayor and appointed Austin Bishop as mayor pro tem for the coming year.
Staff noted Palmdale Municipal Code section 2.08.0.01, which directs the council to select a mayor and then a mayor pro tem annually at the first meeting in December and bars consecutive terms. Several members of the public urged the council instead to restore a directly elected mayor or at least to conduct a statistically relevant public survey to gauge resident preference before appointing a mayor.
Public comment included strongly worded appeals on both sides. Rich Gallego said the appointment system "is a grotesque example of arrogance" and urged delaying action until the council had surveyed constituents; Michael Ross and Eugene Hernandez also urged consideration of a return to direct election. Supporters of the council selection process and of individual nominees also spoke: Ralph Valador described Eric Olson as a person of integrity and urged support for Olson.
Council discussion referenced the city ordinance and the city's historical use of a rotating mayoral system; several council members said the nominee was next in line and had not previously served as mayor. A motion to nominate Council Member Eric Olson was made and seconded; the council then voted by voice and the presiding officer declared the motion passed. The council similarly nominated and approved Austin Bishop for mayor pro tem.
What happens next: The council recorded the appointments and congratulated both members. Multiple public commenters reiterated their interest in a future public survey or ballot measure to restore direct election of the mayor; the transcript shows those concerns recorded but no immediate action to place the question on a future ballot during the meeting.
