By a vote of three to one the Imperial Beach City Council appointed Council member Mitch McKay the new Mayor.

He replaces Paloma Aguirre who was sworn in as district one county supervisor in July.

The council chose not to hold a special election because of the cost and time it would take to fill an abbreviated term.

Imperial beach is facing some critical issues. Contaminated water closing beaches. Businesses are going under without the regular tourist traffic.

Most of the council felt like there is no time to wait. 

 “It was a good decision. It was a decision that reflects the reality in Imperial Beach,” voter Brian Bilbray said.

 “I was really disappointed with it. I expected there would be more discussion and more opportunities for the public to weigh in,“ voter Sandy Brillhart said.

Third District Councilman Mitch McKay was voted in three years ago. He’s spent 60 years, nearly his whole life living in Imperial Beach.  As a resident he fought hard to clean up the pollution in the Tijuana River Valley. As a councilman he led the charge and it’s his first order of business as Mayor.

“I’m not sitting back and waiting. Or sitting on my laurels all the time. I am moving forward, and I want this city to move forward,” McKay said.

Instead of Wednesday’s vote to appoint a new Mayor the council could have chosen to hold a special election. The cost would be somewhere between 250 and 400 thousand dollars. Money the city doesn’t have.  

“Some are insistent on a special election the city doesn’t have money for when there are say roads to be fixed,” one resident said. 

The election would be held in April giving the newly elected Mayor only about five to six months in office.

Despite the cost and time about a dozen members of the Imperial Beach Democrat Club came to show their support for it.

 “To allow us all to have a voice in some manner. We wanted to make sure it’s not just four people making the decision,“ Democrat Club member Lynne Fischer said.

By state law council has about 50 days left to use other methods of finding Superintendent Paloma Aguirre’s replacement.

Interviews, public forums, an application process.

McKay will take the oath of office at the next city council meeting which is August 20th He’ll have a 15-month term before there is another mayoral election. He won’t say yet whether he’ll run.

There is still the matter of electing or appointing someone to fill McKay’s vacancy. Council will tackle that issue once the New Mayor is sworn in.