Long Beach : Mayoral Plan Unchanged

What promised to be a routine second reading of a full-time mayor ballot proposal turned Tuesday into an hourlong debate marked by a switch in positions by some City Council members. In the end, however, the result was the same as the council again voted unanimously to place the proposal for a $67,500, full-time mayor on the November ballot--and to limit the power the revamped mayoralty would have.

Most debate centered on whether a full-time mayor should have a veto that would take six of nine council votes to override, rather than five, as approved last week. The council finally settled on the weaker override, though members Jan Hall, Thomas Clark and Evan Braude initially dissented. Hall and Clark last week favored giving the mayor a vote on the council rather than a veto.

Mayor Ernie Kell also switched positions. Last week, he said he favored the stronger two-thirds override, but Tuesday he sided with Councilmen Ray Grabinski and Wallace Edgerton, who said they would oppose the whole package if the stronger override were included.