Fountain Valley City Council names Jim Cunneen mayor

The Fountain Valley City Council on Tuesday unanimously elected Jim Cunneen to serve as mayor, the first-term council member becoming the last on the five-member dais to hold the rotating role.

Cunneen, who previously served on the Fountain Valley school board before being elected to the council in 2022, was quick to point out the benefits of having four former mayors to learn from.

Drawing from a couple of his council colleagues in outgoing mayor Ted Bui and Glenn Grandis, Cunneen mentioned their respective applications of “FV” as an acronym for “family values” and “fabulous volunteers.”

Then he put his own spin on it through the lens of baseball, bringing an “FV” cap with him to the podium to discuss his themes for the year. He categorized the four bases on a diamond as “fitness,” “foodie,” “friendly” and “first place, home base.”

On a rhetorical trip around the bases, Cunneen highlighted the city working on its parks master plan, a push to have more residents dine and shop locally, and a desire to see neighborly behavior.

Fountain Valley Mayor Jim Cunneen, left, stands with his wife, Mimi, as he is sworn into the office on Tuesday.

(Andrew Turner)

“We are such a wonderful place to live that people move from far away to come to Fountain Valley,” Cunneen said. “... That’s where family values come in. That’s where the fabulous volunteers come in. We are a special community because we have all those elements.”

Cunneen noted that “everything a city does” impacts a home, including public safety and public works.

With respect to the focus on health and fitness, “One of the things that I’m going to try to do — this is going to be a challenge to me — is I want to do something called ‘A Mile with the Mayor,’” Cunneen said. “Maybe four times a year, we’re going to try to get together, and we’re going to walk, and we’re going to talk, and we’re going to communicate, and this will be a moment for us to get fit, to get to know each other a little bit better.”

Fountain Valley Mayor Jim Cunneen is sworn into the office by City Clerk Rick Miller on Tuesday.

(Andrew Turner)

Councilman Patrick Harper, who served as mayor in 2022, was unanimously elected vice mayor during Tuesday’s reorganization meeting.

Prior to being administered the oath of office by City Clerk Rick Miller, Cunneen presented a gavel to Bui in recognition of his service as mayor over the past year.

“This past year has been both rewarding and deeply meaningful,” Bui said. “Serving the residents of Fountain Valley has strengthened my appreciation for our city and for the dedicated individuals who work every day to make it better. I’m grateful to our residents, our hard-working city staff and my colleagues on the City Council for their support and collaboration.

“Although at times we may not agree on every issue, it is important that we continue our discourse with civility and respect, always placing the interests of the city and the people we represent above everything else.”

Recognition also came from multiple local elected officials, including state Assemblyman Tri Ta (R-Westminster), Orange County Supervisor Janet Nguyen and a representative for state Sen. Tony Strickland (R-Huntington Beach).

“I’m especially proud of the partnership that we built together on the Mile Square Park,” Nguyen said. “You didn’t just accept good enough. You picked up the phone, you pushed, you negotiated, and because of that persistence, Fountain Valley secured additional acreage from the county of Orange, and you’re able to expand your [Fountain Valley] Sports Park … for generations to come.”