District Four Council Member Schelly Sustarsic will be Mayor Sustarsic in 2024. District Three Councilwoman Lisa Landau will be Mayor Pro Tem Landau in 2024. The vote was the last item on the agenda for the last meeting of the year. The meeting was about two-and-a-half hours long.
Seal Beach voters select the council members for their districts ever four years. Every December, the City Council members select the mayor and mayor pro tem from among themselves. Mayors and mayors pro tem serve one year terms. Now and then a mayor is re-elected for another term.
This year, City Clerk Gloria Harper opened nominations for mayor.
Outgoing 2023Mayor/District Two Council Member Tom Moore nominated Sustarsic to be the next mayor. Landau seconded the nomination.
No one else nominated a mayoral candidate.
The vote was unanimous.
Harper opened the nominations for mayor pro tem.
“I’d like to nominate Councilwoman Lisa Landau, please,” said Sustarsic.
Moore seconded the nomination.
“I’ll move to nominate Council Member Steele,” said District One Council Member Joe Kalmick.
Harper took a roll call vote for Landau’s nomination.
Landau briefly voted no, but was advised by officials that the vote was for her candidacy.
City Attorney Nicholas Ghirelli explained that the other nomination was not a substitute motion. “There were two nominations, so the city clerk is going to go through each and whoever garners a majority of the council to be the vice mayor will be the vice mayor,” Ghirelli said.
“This is for me,” Landau said, pointing at herself.
Harper said this was for her. “Council Member Landau, how do you vote for yourself for mayor pro tem?”
“Yes,” Landau said with a smile.
Moore voted yes.
Sustarsic voted yes.
District Five Councilman Nathan Steele voted no.
Kalmick voted no.
“So we have three, a majority there,” Harper said. “I’ll take votes for Council Member Steele to be mayor pro tem.”
She started with Kalmick.
He voted yes.
Steele voted yes.
Sustarsic voted no.
Moore voted no.
Landau voted no.
“Our new mayor pro tem is Council Member Landau,” Harper said. “Congratulations.”
Harper instructed Sustarsic to hand over the gavel to the outgoing mayor.
The gavel, mounted on a plaque, was at the podium.
Sustarsic thanked Mayor Moore for “his very busy year” and for all that he’s done.
The audience applauded.
Landau thanked Moore for the past year, her first year as an elected official. She appreciated his guidance and leadership.
Sustarsic said she knew he had been a very active mayor. She especially appreciated him for the city’s phone system.
“I do work full time and it’s difficult working full time and being mayor,” Moore said.
“This has been a very active council and very good, I think,” Moore said. He thanked the council and staff. “It makes us look good, all the work that you do,” Moore said.
Background
In 2023, the mayor was District Two Council Member Tom Moore and District Three Council Member Schelly Sustarsic.
“The Mayor shall be the official head of the City for all ceremonial purposes,” according to the City Charter.
“The Mayor shall also act in a liaison capacity between the City Council and the City Manager, and in such capacity shall advise the City Manager on matters of Council Policy. The Mayor shall perform such other duties consistent with the office as may be prescribed by this Charter or as may be imposed by the City Council. The Mayor shall serve in such capacity at the pleasure of the City Council,” according to the charter.
“At the same time as a Mayor is selected, the City Council shall also designate one (1) of its members as Mayor Pro Tempore, who shall serve in such capacity at the pleasure of the City Council. The Mayor Pro Tempore shall perform the duties of the Mayor during the Mayor’s absence or disability,” according to the charter.
“Neither the City Council nor any of its members shall interfere with the execution by the City Manager of his/her powers and duties; or order, directly or indirectly, the appointment by the City Manager or by any of the department heads in the administrative service of the City, of any person to an office or employment or removal therefrom,” according to the charter.
“Except for the purpose of inquiry, the City Council and its members shall deal with the administrative service under the City Manager solely through the City Manager and neither the City Council nor any member thereof shall give orders to any subordinate of the City Manager, either publicly or privately,” according to the charter.
