Councilman Tingstrom Chosen Mayor in Ventura : Politics: The decision caps weeks of wrangling over who would succeed Tom Buford. Council members say the election process went amicably.

Incumbent City Councilman Jack Tingstrom was appointed mayor by his colleagues in Ventura on Monday night, ending weeks of behind-the-scenes campaigning for the city’s top political post.

The 60-year-old business consultant, who finished third out of 12 candidates in last month’s election, graciously thanked his fellow council members and pledged his commitment to leading Ventura for the next two years.

“This is a humbling experience,” Tingstrom told the reconstituted council and dozens of Ventura residents who packed the council chambers for Monday’s vote. “I promise to try to keep this council and our city government focused on the future.” Since election day, Tingstrom and Councilwoman Rosa Lee Measures had been vying for the mayor’s job. Newcomers Ray Di Guilio and Jim Friedman--who placed first and second, respectively, in the council race--had also been recruited but declined to enter the mayoral race, citing their inexperience.

As a result, the jostling and maneuvering to secure four votes for either Tingstrom or Measures continued right up until Monday morning, when Measures said she decided to concede and support Tingstrom.

“That was necessary to achieve a cohesive effort,” she said after the meeting. “It was more important for our city.”

Measures was selected deputy mayor by her colleagues after they voted 5 to 2 to appoint Tingstrom as mayor. Councilman Steve Bennett nominated Councilman Gary Tuttle as mayor. Both Bennett and Tuttle voted for Tuttle initially, but then they requested a second vote to offer unanimous support to Tingstrom.

Although Monday’s meeting was brief, ending shortly after 8:30 p.m. when the council adjourned to a large celebration at City Hall, the session signaled a significant change in leadership for the coming years.

In bidding farewell to former Mayor Tom Buford and Councilman Gregory Carson, the council said goodbye to four years of moderate leadership. Carson served as mayor from 1991 to 1993 and Buford from 1993 to 1995.

A staunch pro-business politician, Tingstrom has taken a more conservative and often pro-growth position on issues that have come before the council in the past four years.

But in the spirit of unity that marked Monday’s meeting, Tingstrom said one of his top goals is to bring the seven-member panel together as a team to tackle pressing issues that loom in the years ahead.

“Everyone is smiling, everyone is happy and you are going to see that all the way along,” the beaming new mayor said after the meeting.

Although the mayoral race had the potential to sow bitterness and resentment in the council for years to come, council members said the process ended amicably.

“What looked like it was going to be a contentious, drawn-out process has resolved itself in as positive a way as possible without any blows being struck,” Di Guilio said.

“I think there will be disappointment on a couple of candidate’s parts,” he said before the meeting. “But I think this process has been healthy for this new group to go through.”

Di Guilio and Friedman were both approached by other council members suggesting that they seek the mayoral post. Reluctant to take such a key role so soon in their political careers, however, both said they steered clear of the ceremonial position.

“I made it really clear right from the beginning that at this time that was not appropriate for me,” Di Guilio said.

Councilman Gary Tuttle, who has served seven years on the panel, said he wanted to be chosen for mayor. But short of his own appointment, the environmentally-concerned councilman suggested Friedman as a compromise to Tingstrom and Measures, with whom he has clashed over growth issues.

Tuttle ended up nominating Friedman for the deputy mayor post Monday night, but found no support for the freshman councilman, who voted for Measures rather than for himself.

“My hope was that Friedman would be a compromise candidate,” Tuttle said. “I just think he is much like Buford and Carson . . . politically and personally. I got along great with those guys.”

Unlike past mayoral races, this year’s contest avoided brokering votes for committee appointments, Councilman Steve Bennett said.

“This has never become a barter for your vote discussion,” Bennett said. “Participants have done a good job of keeping it out of that realm.”

Councilman Jim Monahan, who has served 18 years on the City Council, including a term as mayor, said the new council will confront a host of critical issues almost immediately.

“The main issues right off the bat will be how do we establish the subcommittees,” he said.

Traditionally, the mayor appoints council members to various subcommittees the same night that he or she is selected.

But this year, the council agreed to hold off on appointments until after it holds a January retreat to discuss restructuring the committee process.

Other key issues expected to come before the council in the coming months include the expansion of the Buenaventura Mall and plans for the proposed $70-million baseball stadium and sports complex known as Centerplex.

“That is another one that is waiting in the wings,” Monahan said.