The San Bernardino City Council on Monday rejected a proposal that would have rotated the mayor’s position among council members and altered how local elections are handled, but only after Mayor Helen Tran vetoed an earlier vote to continue the discussion. The council also voted to revive the city’s charter review committee to address potential changes through a resident-led process.
More than 200 residents and members of labor and community groups packed the meeting at the Feldheym Central Library, many speaking in strong opposition to eliminating San Bernardino’s directly elected mayor. The proposed charter amendments would have allowed the council to select a mayor from within its ranks, imposed term limits on council members and eliminated the city’s mayoral election.
Several Inland Empire cities operate under a council-manager form of government where the mayor is selected by fellow council members and typically rotates on an annual basis…