Orange County Election ’86 : Anaheim : Pay Hike Issue Raised on Day After Election

New Mayor Ben Bay pledged Wednesday to reunify the City Council, even as the city’s newest councilman, Fred Hunter, said he would bring up the issue of a controversial Election Day pay raise to the city manager at his first council meeting.

“We almost just went through what was the equivalent to a war,” Bay said, referring to the campaign. “I don’t expect everyone to be kissing and making up, but my goal is to get those people back together. We must work as a team, and we will.”

Bay beat Mayor Pro Tem Irv Pickler for the post of mayor by a thin margin. But Pickler also led the 14-candidate race for three City Council seats. He was followed by Councilwoman Miriam Kaywood and Hunter. Hunter will replace Councilman E. Llewellyn Overholt Jr., who came in fifth and trailed candidate William D. Ehrle.

On Wednesday, Overholt blamed his defeat on Bay, saying “he branded me in his Republican-oriented campaign as a liberal, and he knows better than that. I’ve been a Republican all my life.”

He added: “It’s just hardball, big-time politics in Anaheim. . . . And frankly, I’m glad that I’m not part of it.”

Although Anaheim voters were electing three of the candidates to the City Council on Tuesday, they also were deciding the future of City Manager William O. Talley. Hunter was one of several candidates, including Ehrle, whose platform included booting Talley out of office.

The city charter states that the city manager “shall not be removed from office during or within a period of 90 days” after a municipal election.

Hunter frequently has criticized Talley, most recently Tuesday, when the council gave Talley and other management personnel merit pay raises.

Anaheim Mayor Don R. Roth, elected Tuesday to a seat on the county Board of Supervisors, would not say Wednesday how he would vote if Hunter proposes dismissing Talley. Roth begins his supervisor’s job in January and said he expects to remain on the council through the end of the year.

Who will replace Roth is another key question. Bay and Hunter said they would prefer to appoint a candidate rather than call for a special election.

Bay would not say whom he wants to appoint. Hunter said he will support Ehrle because he came in “so strong” in Tuesday’s election. Ehrle is also a foe of Talley.