Second Vote Appoints Councilperson James DeReus as Mayor Pro Tem

Upon appointing newly elected Councilperson Carmen Gutierrez as Mayor Pro Tem in a 3-2 vote with 2 members abstaining at July 9th’s City Council Meeting, it was discovered that a vote of 4 would be needed to appoint a new Mayor Pro Tempore and the motion would have to be revisited at the next meeting. 

Article 2, Section 25 of the City Charter states that “the affirmative vote of four (4) members of the council shall be sufficient and necessary to adopt or repeal any ordinance or resolution unless a greater number be required elsewhere by this charter or law.” 

Seeing as the votes taken on Resolution 2024-093 to appoint a Mayor Pro Tempore on July 9, 2024 were not sufficient to pass the resolution, it was revisited during the Regular City Council Meeting on July 23, 2024.

Councilperson Carmen Gutierrez raises a motion to nominate Councilperson James DeReus as Mayor Pro Tem during the July 23, 2024 Regular City Council Meeting.

Councilperson Carmen Gutierrez, who was tentatively appointed as Pro Tem during the first vote, raised a motion to nominate Councilperson James DeReus for the position of Mayor Pro Tem. “I move to nominate Councilmember Jim DeReus to serve as Mayor Pro Tem,” Gutierrez began. “I humbly thank all who considered me for this position at the last city council meeting, however, one of my goals is to provide support and respect to each other here on the council as professional representatives of our city and our citizens,” she continued. “There will be times that we will have dissenting votes, but I don’t believe that this is that time.” “It is my hope that we can be unanimous in support of my nominee, Councilmember Jim DeReus, for Mayor Pro Tem,” Councilperson Gutierrez concluded. 

Councilperson JP Sanchez seconded the motion and in a unanimous vote, the motion was passed and Councilperson James DeReus was appointed as Mayor Pro Tempore.