ANAHEIM : Hunter Claims New Council Majority

With the election of his council running mate Bob D. Simpson, Mayor Fred Hunter said Wednesday that he can now begin wielding an “omnipotent” voting majority that will put an end to an era of divisive politics in Orange County’s second largest city.

“I was (politically) impotent, now I’m omnipotent,” Hunter said after voters reelected him mayor and ousted Councilwoman Miriam Kaywood, a political opponent who had solidified a strong voting majority against him.

Kaywood, the only female council member in Anaheim’s history, trailed the third-largest vote-getter, Councilman Irv Pickler, by only 146 votes to lose her council seat. She regularly joined with Pickler and Councilman Tom Daly to form voting majorities against Hunter and Councilman William D. Ehrle.

In the mayor’s race, Hunter beat Pickler with nearly 58% of the vote.

Simpson returns to City Hall, where he served as city manager from September, 1987, to last May and as fire chief for six years before that. During that time he was Hunter’s close ally.

Watching the numbers roll at the campaign headquarters he shared with Simpson on Tuesday night, Hunter jubilantly declared: “It’s the Fred and Bob show at City Hall from now on!”

On Wednesday, Hunter said the declaration did not mean that “Simpson and I will give away the store.”

“People now know they have people they can trust,” the mayor said.

With a new majority, Hunter said he intends to work to attract more business interests from Pacific Rim countries to Anaheim and attempt to be more responsive to the city’s growing Latino community, about 22% of the city’s population.

“Some on the old council had their head in the sand. They didn’t want to see their city changing. We have to have better relationships with the Hispanic community,” Hunter said.

Although Hunter talked of forging a new council majority, Simpson said: “I will speak my mind. I will be brutally honest.

“We’ve talked so much about divisiveness,” he said. “I hope we can work together as a team. Mayor Hunter and I get along well. I hope it means we will be willing to create a majority.”

Simpson said his first step will be to begin meetings with city department heads for updates on council projects.