Katapodis says he is not running for Huntington Beach council re-election

After four years on the Huntington Beach City Council, Mayor Jim Katapodis will not be running for re-election in November.

Katapodis, 60, said Monday that he has accepted a job as a law enforcement consultant for the state in Sacramento and will leave the council after his term is up at the end of the year.

The retired Los Angeles Police Department sergeant said he will split his time between Sacramento and Huntington Beach.

He said he applied for the consultant job a few years ago and was offered the position, but ended up turning it down to serve as mayor.

“I didn’t want to have the job and try to do both,” he said, adding that the job reopened earlier this year and he decided to go for it this time.

“It was a tough decision. I love the city. I love what I do. I love the council and I enjoy being the mayor. I’ve done a lot of things, and I’m really proud of the direction that the city’s going in.”

Join the conversation on Facebook >>

Katapodis, who is also the director of the Orange County Transit Authority’s board of directors, said he decided to go back to law enforcement because of his experience on the force. He also served on similar committees for the state and taught classes on the subject.

During his tenure on the council, including one year as mayor, Katapodis voted for the controversial plastic bag ban, supported reducing the number of housing units allowed along Beach Boulevard and Edinger Avenue and voted in favor of making city labor talks more transparent to the public.

“We have a balanced budget,” he said. “Other cities are struggling, and we’re not. I’m very proud of Huntington Beach.”

He also had plaudits for his fellow council members.

“I think the council now is very, very good,” he said. “They do their homework and they look for whatever is good for the city. What always drives me is what do the citizens want and what is going to be good for them.”

Ten people, including incumbents Dave Sullivan and Jill Hardy, have filed papers indicating their intent to run for three seats that will be open on the seven-member council in the Nov. 8 election.

Mayor pro tem Sullivan, who is up for re-election this year, is slated to become the new mayor. The mayor pro tem, who got the second most votes in the previous election, traditionally becomes the mayor after being voted in by fellow council members.

Barbara Delgleize, who got the most votes in the 2014 election, would become the mayor pro tem if voted in, Katapodis said.

Hardy said she is going to miss having Katapodis on the council.

“We became pretty good friends when he was mayor pro tem and I was mayor,” she said. “I’m going to miss working with him. We agreed on a lot of issues, so I’m going to miss his vote as well.... I’m very excited for his new job and where he’s going in his personal life, as a friend, but I feel sorry for the city.”

--

Brittany Woolsey, brittany.woolsey@latimes.com

Twitter: @BrittanyWoolsey