El Centro council elects Mike Crankshaw as mayor and names Claudia Camarena mayor pro tem

The El Centro City Council held a reorganization at its regular session and elected Mike Crankshaw as mayor and Claudia Camarena as mayor pro tem. The council recorded the mayoral vote as passing "4 with 1 abstain." The subsequent vote for mayor pro tem used the same tally, and the mayor pro tem seat was filled.

Councilmember (speaker 3) opened the reorganization segment by stressing that serving as mayor is a privilege and urged high ethical standards and accountability among elected officials. During the reorganization, an unnamed councilmember addressed a recent overnight incident involving police at their home, denied asking police for favors, said they had contacted the city manager and Police Chief Brown, and apologized to staff and residents for any perceived misconduct. The speaker said the matter had been discussed with officers and that they accepted whatever council decision followed.

After nominations were opened, one councilmember nominated Mike Crankshaw for mayor and another councilmember seconded. Crankshaw thanked colleagues, referenced the year 2026 and urged the council to focus on the community's future. The presiding officer announced the motion had passed "4 with 1 abstain." Nominations for mayor pro tem followed; Mayor Pro Tem Ellet nominated Claudia Camarena, the motion was seconded, and the council approved the nomination with the same recorded tally.

The council recessed briefly to allow members to rearrange seating after the reorganization and then reconvened to continue the regular agenda. No formal disciplinary action or additional formal motions regarding the personal incident were recorded on the public agenda during the meeting.

The council adjourned later in the meeting after routine reports and public comments.