BUENA PARK : Griffin Elected Mayor Over Bone’s Dissent

The new City Council sworn in Monday elected Councilman Don R. Griffin mayor despite a loud, “No,” cast by outgoing Mayor Donald L. Bone.

Griffin has been mayor pro tem for the past year and the voice vote making him mayor was not a surprise. Bone, who became a council member, refused to comment on his vote against Griffin. “The vote should speak for itself,” he said.

Bone did reflect on his time as mayor and said he had mixed emotions as he left that job. “On the one hand, you think, ‘It’s taken me 12 months to learn this job and I finally know what I’m doing,’ ” he said. “On the other hand, you think, ‘Thank God it’s over.’ ”

The city’s future looks bright, with new jobs moving in, Bone added. He suggested the new council pursue an update of its long-range planning, improve relations with ethnic groups moving into the city and to continue to document city policies.

Griffin said the council policy book was one of Bone’s highest achievements in office and he thanked him for doing “an excellent job” during a controversial year.

“In any family, when you have strong leaders with strong personalities, you do talk out issues,” Griffin said. He refused to comment on Bone’s vote against him. “We have a job to do and let’s do it,” he added.

Patsy Marshall, top vote-getter in November’s election, was elected mayor pro tem.

New Councilman Gerald N. Sigler took his seat as well, and resigned his position on the Planning Commission. The appointment for the commission’s vacancy will probably be discussed at next Monday’s study session, he said.

Councilman Arthur C. Brown took his oath after a squeaker of a race that turned on 34 absentee ballot votes a week after he appeared to have lost to Larry T. Wieck.