Power Gift for Pulido Ally?

What happens if you promise someone a political post that ends up going to someone else?

In the case of Santa Ana Mayor Miguel A. Pulido, you try to create a new post for your ally.

Pulido has proposed establishing the new City Council job of deputy mayor pro tem, which would rank below mayor and mayor pro tem.

The position is intended for council member Alberta Christy, who has been on the council since 1998 and could be forced out of office due to term limits before ever sitting as mayor pro tem, the council’s No. 2 title behind the mayor.

“The mayor thought the position would be something nice for [Christy] to complete her years on the council,” said Councilman Jose Solorio.

The deputy mayor pro tem would run a council meeting in the absence of the mayor and mayor pro tem.

Pulido and Christy did not return calls for comment.

Pulido proposed the position Monday, after council members earlier this month chose Lisa Bist as mayor pro tem.

It’s uncommon to have a mayor, a mayor pro tem and a deputy mayor pro tem on a seven-member council in California.

“It’s definitely different,” said Michael Gold, deputy director of the League of California Cities’ Orange County division. “As far as I know, there are no deputy mayor pro tems in Orange County.”

That did not stop Pulido, who City Hall sources say had promised Christy the spot as mayor pro tem after she joined him in backing Alexander “Sandy” Nalle in the November City Council election.

The plan went awry after Nalle lost to Carlos Bustamante, who was supported by Bist and council members Claudia Alvarez and Mike Garcia. That gave Bist the votes she needed to become mayor pro tem. And because all of the council members knew it, the Dec. 6 vote for Bist was unanimous.

Meanwhile, Pulido was researching the issue, council members say. He found Section 2-101 in the municipal code, which gives the mayor the right to appoint an acting mayor pro tem when the mayor and the mayor pro tem can’t attend a public function.

Pulido proposed changing the section to create a permanent position of deputy mayor pro tem instead of having an acting mayor pro tem.

Because of the council’s lack of familiarity on the issue, the decision to create the job was put off until late January to give council members time to study it.

“I think we need some discussion of the existing ordinance,” said Bist.