3 Mayors in 1 Day May Set a Record for Moorpark

In the past year, Moorpark residents have needed score cards to keep track of the changing political lineup at City Hall.

That was evidenced Wednesday when the five-member City Council probably set some sort of municipal record by having three mayors during the course of a single meeting.

“I was the shortest mayor on record,” said Mayor Pro Tem Eloise Brown, who held the position for about 20 minutes Wednesday after former Mayor John Galloway resigned from the post.

In Moorpark, the office of mayor holds no special privileges other than the chairing of council meetings. The position is generally rotated among council members once a year.

The evening began with Galloway’s announcing his resignation from the post in anticipation of a move to oust him from the office by council members Clint Harper, John Lane and newly elected City Councilman Bernardo Perez.

Elected on Split Vote

Galloway, who was elected mayor on a split vote by the council in November, has been the target of frequent criticism by Harper, who has called him “immature” and “the least qualified of the council to serve as mayor.”

In response to those comments, Galloway said Thursday: “It’s clear the childish one was not me.”

After his resignation, Galloway turned over the gavel to Brown, making her the mayor.

Then Harper, on a motion supported by council members Perez and Lane, called for selection of a new mayor.

Galloway objected and looked to City Atty. Cheryl J. Kane for support. But Kane said, essentially, that the council could with three votes elect any of its members to the mayor’s post.

Finally Lane was nominated and became mayor with the votes of Harper, Perez and Brown, who retained her position as mayor pro tem.

Brown said she did not particularly want to be mayor because “being the presiding officer hampers your ability to talk.”

Stepped Down

The city has had five mayors in the last year: the three who held office Wednesday, Harper, and former City Councilman Thomas C. (Bud) Ferguson.

Ferguson agreed to step down from the office last spring after he was quoted as using remarks that were considered racially offensive. Harper took over as mayor, and Ferguson was later recalled by voters in November.

Ferguson, during his last council meeting, provided Galloway with the swing vote needed to remove Harper from the mayor’s post and install Galloway. Brown also supported Galloway in that vote.

Newly appointed Mayor Lane was elected to the council last June to serve the two years remaining in former City Councilman Danny Woolard’s term. Woolard resigned in January, 1987, after pleading guilty to embezzling U.S. Post Office funds and admitting that he took bribes while on the council.

Perez was appointed by the council to fill Woolard’s seat until last June’s special election, when he lost to Lane. Last week, however, Perez, in another special election, won the seat left vacant by Ferguson’s recall.