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As Dave Sullivan prepares for 2nd term as mayor, he’s hoping to reform pension system and create pedestrian mall on Main Street.Huntington Beach’s feisty Bostonian, Dave Sullivan, is preparing for his second run at the city’s top spot, promising he’s still got plenty of the Irish fight left in him.

On Monday, the 68-year-old Sullivan will be sworn in as the city’s mayor, almost exactly 10 years after he first was appointed to the office.

Originally elected in 1992 on the heels of a successful voter initiative to block the city’s parks and beaches from development, Sullivan has reveled in his role as political maverick. The retired orthodontist has gone to battle with developers over the Poseidon project, the police union over retirement costs and the Fountain Valley School District over threatened parkland. An ardent fiscal conservative, Sullivan is also a champion of protecting the city’s open spaces and parks.

After getting termed out of office in 2000, Sullivan took a brief hiatus and returned two years later. He will be up for reelection to his fourth term in 2006. The Independent’s Dave Brooks recently had an opportunity to speak with Sullivan about his plans for the coming year.

Question: How does it feel to take your second stab at being mayor?

Answer: It feels great. Because I’ve done the job before, I can hit the ground running. The best lesson from the past is that the year passes very quickly. So you have to start right away if you want to get something done.

Q: What was your favorite memory from the last time you were mayor?

A: I was supposed to go down and give a greeting to an international surfing contest. I didn’t realize the magnitude of it, but when I came out from the parking structure, I saw a large stage and two blocks of Main Street filled with surfers from over 20 countries. It was like the Olympics, and it was really a surprise. I invited the Irish team to join me for a drink at Gallagher’s.

Q: As mayor, one of your powers is to decide whether a prayer should be said before the meeting. Do you plan to keep the invocation in place?

A: Yes, I think it’s a long tradition both locally and nationally to ask the Almighty’s guidance prior to starting deliberations.

Q: Who is your favorite political leader?

A: Winston Churchill. I thought he was really inspirational in a time of real need for his country, plus I like his rhetoric. If done well, it can inspire people to adopt a common viewpoint

Q: You have strong rhetoric. Do you ever ask yourself, “Am I going to far?”

A: Certainly, you do that as you’re speaking, but I just go with what I think is right and appropriate at the time.

Q: Have your strongly worded responses ever gotten you in trouble?

A: I’ve never retracted anything, I’m sure I have [gotten in trouble.]

Q: How will your mayoral approach differ from our last mayor, Jill Hardy?

A: Jill did a great job and I certainly won’t be as nice to look at.

Q: Over the years, you’ve been a vocal critic of the city’s public retirement system. Do you think the city’s recent contract talks were a step in the wrong direction?

A: It’s unsustainable to have people retiring in their early 50s with a large percentage of salary for the rest of their lives. It’s like a big Ponzi scheme, and in my view, if it isn’t fixed, it’s going to collapse. And one more point: It’s grossly unfair to the taxpayers.

Q: What would it take to repair the system?

A: The system is such that you can’t take away benefits that have already been given; however, you can two-tier the system for new hires, and I think the governor is going to propose that again.

Q: The police officer’s association has spent a lot of money to get candidates in office who support their side. Is it getting harder to run for office without their support?

A: Union money causes a real imbalance in the local election process. Unfortunately, it is a real uphill battle for a newcomer without union money.

Q: What would it take to overcome those odds?

A: It puts a candidate at a terrible disadvantage because sending out literature is so costly, and usually individuals aren’t able to raise the kind of money to level the playing field. I just don’t know, there haven’t been many that are successful. You really need to reach out and gain the support of a lot of like-minded people in the community.

Q: What’s going to be on your agenda for the next year?

A: One of the unique things about Huntington Beach is the level of activism. I want to encourage more public participation.

Q: How are you going to do that ?

A: One way you encourage it is by not discouraging it. I’ve seen the wrong attitude shut a lot of things off. You need to make yourself available to talk to people about issues. I’m thinking about going out at different times to various parts of the community, like a coffee shop, and collecting input. I also think we ought to use the Internet more to do surveys on major issues and public opinion. I want this to be the year that a portion of main street is made into a pedestrian mall.

Q: Politicians have fought for years to get Main Street closed off. Why do think this is the year it will happen?

A: I was really encouraged by a recent retreat with Conference and Visitors Bureau where the issue came up. The overwhelming majority of people there were in favor of it. The ones that are opposing it have every excuse in the world. First its, “Let’s wait for the Hyatt,” then it’s “Let’s wait for the Strand or Pacific City.” I think it will be a great benefit for the downtown, and it’s an idea whose time has come.20051201iqqywdknDOUGLAS ZIMMERMAN / INDEPENDENT(LA)City Councilman Dave Sullivan is set to become the next mayor of Huntington Beach on Dec. 5.