Long Appointed Mayor of Murrieta in Unexpected Twist

Alan Long was appointed mayor of Murrieta on Tuesday when a fellow Council member made an unexpected move.

Under a mayoral rotation policy, Kelly Bennett had been slated to be appointed mayor at the start of Tuesday evening’s Murrieta City Council meeting. However, Councilman Randon Lane made a motion that Long be appointed and that Councilman Harry Ramos serve as mayor pro tem.

The motion was approved 3-2, with outgoing Mayor Rick Gibbs and Councilwoman Bennett voting no.

Lane said he made the suggestion because under the current rotation, Long would not have had the chance to serve as mayor before his first four-year term as a Council member ends in December 2014.

Bennett is in her second term and has previously served as mayor. Her current term ends in December 2014.

According to City Attorney Leslie Devaney, the Council had the legal ability—with a majority vote—to waive the rotation and appoint Long as mayor.

Long is a Murrieta native who works as a battalion chief for the Anaheim Fire Department. He was first elected to Murrieta City Council in 2010.

The mayoral term is for one year, with Gibbs serving most recently in the position.

To Gibbs, Long said: "If I could do half as good of a job as you have done, I would consider myself successful."