Carson Voters to Decide How City Chooses Mayor

Carson voters--who have been mere spectators to yearly City Council battles for the largely ceremonial post of mayor--will have a chance to decide if they want to take the matter into their own hands.

By a 4-0 vote, the council Tuesday night decided to put a measure on next April’s municipal ballot that would make the mayor’s post an elective one. If the measures passes, the first mayor’s election would occur in April, 1994.

The council also decided to ask voters whether the mayor’s term should be two or four years, if it becomes an elected post.

The selection of a mayor in similarly sized cities is usually routine, but in Carson the appointment has been characterized by acrimony over the years.

Councilwoman Juanita McDonald, who proposed the ballot measure, said she hopes voters will end the factional battles on the council over the position, which is considered a political prize.

“I am just really struck by the fact that we cannot take care of business from one year to another because, as we approach the April date for the selection of mayor, folks begin lobbying and vying for the position,” McDonald said. “It brings about a lot of hostility.

“The fairest way to do this is to let the electorate decide.”

Mayor Michael Mitoma said the position has significant symbolic value because of the many ceremonial functions a mayor can attend.

He said an elected mayor “from an influence standpoint, would have a lot more credibility” than an appointed one.

“The other issue has to do with the hard feelings people have if they don’t get mayor. They get bitter when they don’t get it,” Mitoma said.

Councilwoman Vera Robles DeWitt, who preceded Mitoma as mayor , said she hopes voters will choose an elected mayor to end “deal-making.”

“Maybe it’s viewed as a prize because deals could be made or broken by going to the mayor,” DeWitt said. She declined to elaborate but added, “I won’t support additional perks or privileges along with the positions.”

After the election, the council will decide whether the mayor’s authority should be broadened or changed. So far, there is no indication that any significant changes are in store.

Councilwoman Sylvia Muise, a critic of the current selection process, continued her pattern Tuesday of refusing to vote on the matter. When the council appointed Mitoma, she harshly criticized the “back-room gyrations” that mark the process. She then declined to cast a vote on Mitoma’s appointment.