Palm Springs hosts first public meeting on future of mayoral position
PALM SPRINGS, Calif. (KESQ) — A packed room at the Mizell Center Wednesday night marked the beginning of what city leaders expect will be a broader community conversation about the future of Palm Springs' mayoral position.
Dozens of residents attended the city's first public meeting to weigh in on whether Palm Springs should return to directly electing its mayor for a four-year term or keep the current rotating system, where the five elected City Council members each serve as mayor for one year.
The city adopted the rotating mayor system in 2019 after facing the threat of a lawsuit under the California Voting Rights Act over concerns about representation. Since then, Palm Springs has had three Latino mayors serve under the rotational system.
Wednesday's meeting began with presentations outlining arguments both for and against changing the current structure before officials opened the floor for public comment.
"With a rotating mayor system, we have folks that come from different parts of the city with different perspectives," said Lex Ortega, who spoke in support of the current system.
Ortega also argued that changing how the mayor is selected would not change the role itself.
"The mayor is a coequal member of council. They have no additional power. They have ceremonial duties, but not additional powers," they said.
Supporters of an elected mayor said the proposal is about giving voters a direct voice in choosing the city's leader.
"We don't believe that it dilutes voter voice in any way. In fact, we think it enhances voter voice. They get to choose their council member and mayor," said Rich Gordon, chair of Citizens for an Elected Mayor.
Gordon also argued that a mayor serving a longer term could provide more consistent oversight of long-term development projects.
"We have holes in the ground where hotels are supposed to be," Gordon said. "We need a mayor that takes a project from planning to execution and engage with oversight."
Councilmember Ron deHarte said city leaders expect the conversation to continue as they gather more public input before deciding whether to place the issue before voters.
"I think we're going to continue getting really good input from the community and if we had a crystal ball, I don't know if it would be able to tell us what the outcome would be," deHarte said.
Wednesday's meeting was the first in a series of community forums. The next public meeting is scheduled for Sept. 16.
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