Mike is the acting mayor until the City Council appoints a new mayor. If that person is from the Council, he or she must remove him or herself from the Council and a new council person appointed again by the Council. The appointed mayor and councilperson will fill out the terms of those they replaced. Hope this clears up a kind of murky situation

Actually, it doesn't clear it up at all. Are you suggesting the Ocean Shores Ordinances don't take into account the loss of a Mayor mid-term? I'd be willing to bet the ordinances say the Council President shall act as Mayor. If they don't, they should. If Mayor Bunkers would have died rather than resigned, how would he have personally named his successor?

It's just odd that an employee... an appointed employee... is serving as mayor while the elected officials figure out what to do. But, then it IS Ocean Shores.

It sounds as though perhaps the matter is simply an inappropriate use of the term "mayor" relative to Mike temporarily assuming executive functions of the city. He may be acting as the mayor, but is not the acting mayor.

It would seem to me, the actual "Acting Mayor" which, if their Ordinances are written properly, would most likely be the Council President, would make the decision about who handles "executive functions".

Well. Hit me with a stupid stick! I just had the wild idea to check the Ocean Shores Website and look at their ordinances. It seems they have no succession rules. There is no "Mayor Pro Tem" or ordinances for what happens if the Mayor dies in office.

Yumpin' Yiminy! Whodathunkit?

Yeah I also checked out the city code. I also checked the RCWs.

RCW



Normal city councils elect a mayor pro tem in case there should be such an eventuality.

I would argue that once Dean Bunkers left office, Ocean Shores had no Mayor, or "acting Mayor." They are essentially without an executive officer. I can't figure out why the city council didn't have a special meeting, if necessary, and elect one of its member to act as Mayor Pro Tem until they officially appoint "a qualified person to fill the vacant position." Instead, the city council seems to be accepting Mr. Bunker's "appointment" of the Police Chief to act as Mayor. That indicates to me that none of them have what it takes to be Mayor.

Ha! Touche.

This being Ocean Shores, we march to a different drummer. In the last 20 yrs I have lived here the Police chief acted as city manager under the Council City Manager form of government. Under the new form, Mike took the position until a new Mayor could be named Garland French is the Mayor pro tem and is a likely candidate for Mayor. Like Paris Hilton, Ocean Shores always seems to be in the spotlight. At the Council meeting tonight a Mayor may be named although there is a 90 day period in which to do so. Stay tuned

What does the "different drummer" think "pro tem" means?