Local News in Brief : Councilman Protests Election

There was no fuss last week when the Rolling Hills Estates City Council elected Councilwoman Nell Mirels mayor, but when council members chose outgoing Mayor Warren Schwarzmann as mayor pro tem, Councilman Peter Weber cried foul.

Although Weber voted for Schwarzmann “in the interests of council harmony,” as he put it, he later said he was entitled to be mayor pro tem based on years of service but was passed over because of political differences with the other council members.

Three years ago, Weber endorsed a challenger in a council election in which Mirels and former Councilman Jerome Belsky--who was recalled last month--were reelected. When Weber was reelected last year, his four council colleagues endorsed someone else. And in the recent recall, Weber was the only council member who did not publicly support Belsky. “I have to assume they have it in for me,” he said.

Mirels, a councilwoman for 16 years, said the council practice is to give the pro tem job to the person who received the highest vote in the preceding election unless that person is newly elected. Schwarzmann came in first when reelected last year.

However, Weber said the selection always has been based on seniority, which put him next in line. Aside from Mirels, he has been on the council longer than anyone, starting in 1974.