Newport mayor plans to leave

S.J. Cahn

Newport Beach Mayor Steve Bromberg on Thursday was appointed by the

governor to be a judge on the Orange County Superior Court.

The appointment means Bromberg, now in his second run as mayor and

just months into his second term in office, will have to resign his

seat.

“It’s a bit overwhelming,” Bromberg said, adding that it “wasn’t

bad” for the son of a door-to-door salesman and a mother who worked

at a cosmetics counter.

“I wish they were around to see it,” he said. “I’m proud. I’m

very, very proud I’ve been able to do this.”

Bromberg, 61, said he plans to meet with the Superior Court’s

presiding judge, Fredrick Horn, on Monday. After that meeting, he’ll

have a better idea of when he’ll have to resign, though he’s hoping

to stay on the council through June.

Giving up his role in city government won’t be easy, Bromberg

said, noting a list of issues he’s deeply involved in: the planned

City Hall; discussions on the future of Marinapark; the city’s

centennial that begins in the fall; and work on so-called “sphere

issues” that include John Wayne Airport, county-owned parks and the

Back Bay; and the Coyote Canyon landfill.

“I’m in the middle of all these things, because I’m mayor and

because I choose to be,” he said.

The appointment means other changes for the mayor. Right now, he

spends his afternoons at City Hall, most days start with city-related

meetings and many also end with some kind of city-related function,

whether a light-hearted dinner or a serious council meeting. In the

middle of all that, he works at his law practice, Bromberg and

Yaeger. He started it in 1971 and now will have to pull out of it to

take the judgeship.

Bromberg also will have to pull back from his direct,

speak-his-mind persona. He told those who interviewed him for the

judgeship that this change would be his biggest challenge, he said.

“When you’re a judge, you have to keep your mouth shut,” he said.

“Judges have to be the ultimate neutral.

“But I can do it.”

Bromberg’s appointment means the City Council will be facing its

third vacancy in as many years. Steve Rosansky was named to fill Gary

Proctor’s West Newport seat in October 2003, and in September 2004

the council appointed Leslie Daigle to fill the seat vacated by

former Mayor Gary Adams.

“I think it’s great,” Rosansky said. “I think he deserves it. I’m

sorry to see him go.”

Daigle echoed that sentiment. And Rosansky and Daigle talked about

how they relied on Bromberg’s counsel.

“I feel bittersweet,” Daigle said. “The mayor deserves the honor

to be judge, but I will really miss his leadership on our City

Council.”

The question that now will come before the council is how it will

fill that leadership void.

“Considering the past two resignations from the council, I’d say

the council will look to appoint,” Rosansky said.

Two leading candidates for the spot are Planning Commissioner Ed

Selich and businessman Bernie Svalstad, who ran for the Corona del

Mar seat in 2002, a race Councilman Dick Nichols won.

The council has 30 days from the effective date of Bromberg’s

resignation to appoint a successor. If council members fail to reach

consensus, it then goes to a special election.

Still, variables exist that might keep the council from making a

third pick, Rosansky said.

The first is that, unlike when he was appointed, there is the vast

bulk of Bromberg’s term left to serve. The second is whether a

statewide special election will be held in the fall, which could

bring down the cost of holding a city election for the seat --

Daigle’s appointment came in part because Adams’ resignation happened

after a deadline to get a vote to the ballot.

Just how the council dynamic might change will depend on who

replaces the mayor, and how, Rosansky said.

“There was going to be a changing of the guard soon, anyway,” he

added, noting that Councilman Tod Ridgeway is termed out of office in

about a year and a half and that Bromberg would have followed in

2008.

“The other interesting thing is who’s going to be mayor,” he said.

Councilman Don Webb, who is out of the country and couldn’t be

reached for comment, is now the city’s vice mayor. Ridgeway, who also

couldn’t be reached, has served as mayor before.

Along with Bromberg, two other Orange County residents -- Erick

Larsh of Orange and Randall Sherman of Mission Viejo -- were named

judges Thursday. Larsh is a Republican, like Bromberg, while Sherman

is a Democrat.

The salary for the judgeship is $149,160.

* S.J. CAHN is the managing editor. He may be reached at (714)

966-4607 or by e-mail at [email protected].