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Working‑group member Lex Ortega: rotating mayor keeps historically excluded residents represented
Summary
Lex Ortega, a Palm Springs resident and former CVRA working‑group participant, told the listening session that the rotating mayor system helps ensure diverse representation and that a citywide elected mayor risks reducing outreach to bilingual and lower‑income neighborhoods.
Lex Ortega, introduced by the working group, said they grew up in Palm Springs and participated in the 2018 Voting Rights working group. Ortega told the meeting the earlier CVRA process produced a 27‑page report and led to district elections that improved representation. "Through this process, we formed the beginnings of a broad and diverse coalition," Ortega said, noting Latino, Filipino and African American communities had been historically excluded.
Ortega urged continuing the current system, arguing a directly elected mayor would need citywide name recognition and would often rely on mass media rather than direct outreach to neighborhoods. "A directly elected mayor will have to get the votes of a majority of everybody in the city. The best and easiest way to do that is a TV ad," Ortega said, arguing that method undermines door‑to‑door contact and bilingual outreach. Ortega emphasized that under Palm Springs’ charter the mayor is a "coequal member of council" with largely ceremonial duties, and urged participants to consider alternatives (for example, two‑year rotating terms) rather than making a hasty charter change.
Ortega closed by urging attendees to think about access and representation for future residents and said the working‑group process should continue to gather input and vet legal approaches with city attorneys.
