Harwood Replaces Tuttle as Long Beach Vice Mayor

Councilman Warren Harwood became this city’s new vice mayor last week with an unanimous vote from his colleagues.

Edd Tuttle stepped down from the position, saying he wants to dedicate more time to his own district and to the Los Angeles County Transportation Commission, where he represents Long Beach.

Calling the job he has held for a year “a very positive experience,” Tuttle quipped to his colleagues at last Tuesday’s council meeting: “The mayor gets all the glory, and the vice mayor gets all the grunt work.”

Doing the “grunt work” is fine, Tuttle said after the meeting, but it’s “not relevant to the people who put me in office. . . . I’m up for reelection next spring, and I want my constituents to know I’m doing a good job.”

Harwood, who works for the Los Angeles County facilities management department, said he will “give a lot of personal time” to represent the city and fill in when necessary for Mayor Ernie Kell, who faces an election campaign himself next year. “I pledge to fill that gap,” Harwood said.