GARDEN GROVE : Council Considering Appointing Ingegneri

City Council members are weighing whether to appoint Tony Ingegneri to the council when Councilman Bruce A. Broadwater becomes mayor, rather than hold a special election.

Ingegneri, 36, a businessman and member of the Planning Commission, finished third among the 12 candidates who vied for two council seats in last week’s election.

The council may fill a council vacancy by appointment instead of holding a special election, City Clerk Carolyn Morris said.

In addition, Morris said, a special election could cost the city as much as $70,000.

“Historically, we would bring up the next guy,” said Broadwater, who bested four other mayoral candidates last week, including Councilman Ho Chung.

Although filling the council vacancy is not on the agenda for the council’s meeting today, Broadwater said the appointment could be discussed, and a decision probably made when the council meets again Dec. 6.

Broadwater, who won a council seat in 1992, will succeed Mayor Frank Kessler, who did not seek reelection after one term. Broadwater will serve for two years.

Councilman Mark Leyes, who captured the most votes last week in winning a second term, said he would prefer that voters decide on the new councilman, but that a special election would be expensive.

Leyes supported Ingegneri during the campaign, and both were endorsed by the Garden Grove Police Officers Assn.

“I think it will be unanimous,” said Councilman Robert F. Dinsen of Ingegneri’s possible appointment. “We can’t go against the wishes of the people.”

Dinsen, who has been on the council since 1980, won a fourth four-year term last week.