Who should be Newport’s next mayor?

Looking at the political landscape in Newport Beach, there are two issues voters need to consider:

Whether they want to expand or discontinue the “Team Newport” concept on the council, and who will become mayor in December after Diane Dixon.

Traditionally, the mayor pro tem becomes mayor. But in this case, I have to ask, is Mayor Pro Tem Kevin Muldoon the right choice?

Timing couldn’t be worse. Comments he made at the Sept. 27 council meeting regarding his and Councilman Scott Peotter’s proposal to limit use of city facilities for candidate forums, and which ones can be taped and aired by NBTV, latimes.com/socal/daily-pilot/opinion/tn-dpt-me-barbara-venezia-column-20160929-story.html, angered many of my readers.

The emails I received took exception to Muldoon saying, “We don’t need neo-Nazis and other political parties we can’t control showing up,” and his objection to using city money to promote a political agenda, as he defended this policy.

Readers found the idea of not televising forums a kind of censorship or at least a tactic for Team Newport to control the 2018 election cycle, when the majority of its members face reelection. Though the council decided to further study the issue, if Team Newport continues down this path, it will likely seal its fate in 2018.

Now, Nazis aren’t the first thing I think of when someone mentions Newport, but Muldoon — who has no affiliation to Muldoon’s Irish Pub — hasn’t lived here long. And he didn’t return my calls last week when I wanted to chat about all of this, so I don’t have his take.

His inexperience is showing. Not exactly mayoral material, in my book.

But if it’s not Muldoon as mayor, then what other Team Newport player should roll into the spot?

Councilman Marshall “Duffy” Duffield has been a good “team” player by not exhibiting any individuality in his voting record. But in my opinion, Duffield also hasn’t shown much enthusiasm for the issues as I watch council meetings.

Part of this could be because his hands are tied on some of the city’s affairs since he owns a business in the harbor. The state Fair Political Practices Commission, at the city’s request, advised what he could and couldn’t vote on in a 10-page report in 2015, limiting what he can do. Maybe these constraints took the wind out of his sails.

When Team Newport took over domination of the council in 2014, controversy over the mayor and mayor pro tem selection process followed.

Readers may remember I wrote about the political maneuverings behind the scenes as the newly elected Team Newport bargained with senior council members Tony Petros and Ed Selich, dangling the carrot of mayor in front of both of them with the caveat that Dixon become mayor pro tem. latimes.com/tn-dpt-me-0102-venezia-20150101-story.html

Petros lost that round. Selich served a third mayoral term with Dixon as mayor pro tem.

When Dixon became mayor last year, mayor pro tem was up for grabs again, and the political divide widened. latimes.com/socal/daily-pilot/opinion/tn-dpt-me-1127-barbara-venezia-20151125-story.html,

Petros should’ve been next in line, since 2016 was his fourth year. But Muldoon got the nod, acing out Petros.

I feel this contributed to Petros’ decision not to seek reelection, though officially he wanted to focus on his private-sector work. The daunting political machine he faced had already robbed him twice.

So where are we? Muldoon’s comments will follow him forward, as will Peotter’s. Peotter has had his own controversies over misusing the city seal in non-city correspondence and his anti-gay marriage rants. Don’t expect him to become mayor.

Fast forward to December and I think Dixon would be smart to lobby her team — and the powers behind it — for a second term as mayor.

Some may be shocked I say that, since I haven’t been a fan of Dixon’s move to town to run for office, limited institutional knowledge and unprecedented rise to power.

But still, she’s the lesser of two evils here, and I’d be happy to see her given a second term as mayor, considering the alternatives.

If Dixon secures another term as mayor, maybe the next mayor pro tem can come from the ranks of the new council members voters elect in November, since the pickings right now are slim and strange.

BARBARA VENEZIA lives in Newport Beach. She can be reached atbvontv1@gmail.com.