Acosta Easily Wins Mayor Pro Tem Post

In a surprising display of harmony, the Santa Ana City Council on Monday unanimously elected veteran Councilman John Acosta as the city’s new mayor pro tem.

Acosta, who has served on the council since 1981, defeated fellow incumbent Wilson B. Hart in the November council election to secure his Ward 3 seat for four more years. Mayor Daniel H. Young’s victory in the mayoral race--forcing him to vacate his Ward 6 seat--left the council with only six members, with a seventh to be elected in the spring.

The six have often voted on opposite sides of major issues in the last 2 years. Usually siding with Acosta have been council members Miguel Pulido and Ron May against Young, Daniel E. Griset and Patricia McGuigan.

Ward Elections and Unions

The splits have been over issues such as instituting a true ward-election system (ward representatives now are elected citywide) and police union contracts.

But Monday night’s selection of Acosta--the only council member with more than one term who has not served as either mayor or vice mayor--took only 1 minute. The title of vice mayor, held most recently by McGuigan, has been changed to mayor pro tem. McGuigan nominated Acosta, Pulido seconded it, and the vote was immediately taken to the applause of the large audience.

Young ended the meeting with a short prepared statement expressing the council’s desire “to begin this new term with a unity of purpose.”

Acosta appeared to second him in an interview after the meeting by saying: “I believe the community is going to see a very united effort from the council. I look forward to being part of that team . . . and establishing lines of communication to all members of the council.”