La Palma : Ex-Councilman Elected to Fill Vacant Seat
Dan Collins, a two-time La Palma City Council member, was elected to the post once again Tuesday to fill the seat left vacant by the death of Mayor Tony Van Dyke.
Collins, 52, a retired electrical engineer, was the clear favorite of the 1,791 residents who cast ballots in the special election.
Collins, a 17-year resident of the city, garnered 1,109 votes, while Dan Gay, a Los Angeles city planner, received 379 votes, and Eva Miner, a dental practice consultant, received 313.
Collins will be sworn in at the June 11 meeting, when council members will also select their new mayor, City Clerk Mary O’Neil said.
La Palma has been without a mayor since Van Dyke’s death Dec. 4.
Collins served on the council from 1972 to 1976 and from 1980 to 1984. He served as mayor in 1981 and 1982. He lost n the 1976 council race, and did not choose to run again after his term ended last November.
Collins said he wants to use his experience as a former councilman to further development in La Palma.
“I’m trying to help complete the projects to keep La Palma the beautiful community that it is,” he said.
Gay and Miner ran unsuccessfully for council seats last November.
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