RON DAVIS -- Through my eyes

Six o’clock Monday night, at the Huntington Beach City Council

Chambers, may well mark the passing of the mayor’s gavel from Mayor Pam

Julien Houchen (pronounced howchin, not whochin) to Mayor Pro Tem Debbie

Cook.

This won’t be the first time a woman, as mayor of Huntington Beach,

handed the gavel to another woman. This type of mayoral handoff has

happened three times in our history. But, I suspect a handoff from Pam

Julien Houchen to Debbie Cook, and then I presume next December, to

Connie Boardman, will be the first time three women have consecutively

served as mayor of this community.

I suspect the Taliban would be rolling over in their caves if they

knew that seven of our 10 elected leaders in Huntington Beach were women

-- women without Burkas, no less.

I make the point about women serving in leadership roles, not because

it ought to be a surprise to anyone, but to laud a community, which

continues to pick its leaders based on issues, rather than gender.

Many of you will busy yourself Monday night watching “Monday Night

Football,” or perhaps fiddling with holiday decorations. Because things

are running pretty smoothly in Huntington Beach, you’ll not have much

reason to notice the passing of the gavel.

For the most part, serving on the Huntington Beach City Council is a

thankless job. While the other three elective positions are paid fairly

well, council members are paid a mere $175 per month, and about $700 a

month of expense money. Not very much given what we demand, and far too

little for the invaluable services they render.

While the mayor’s vote doesn’t count any more than that of any other

council member, the mayor is the symbolic leader of this community. As

such, Pam Julien Houchen has served with honor, class and distinction.

She has every right to be proud of her accomplishments, and we ought to

be proud of her.

What local government ought to be doing and the direction it should

take will always be the subject of debate. But, we ought not lose sight

of the valuable contribution made by our local leaders. Monday night

football games don’t pave your streets or repair your sidewalks. Hanging

tinsel or a string of lights won’t repair your sewers or drive economic

development. Your local elected leaders do those things on your behalf.

Maybe you can catch the game during the second-half. Perhaps you can

delay the tinsel and that string of lights for a moment and pop on down

to your city hall and stand and applaud the mayor and council members who

have worked darned hard for you during the past year.

Our elected leaders understand that they’ll be criticized again, and

again, and again. Once in a while it might be nice to throw in a little

“thank you.” And, Monday night might be the perfect time for that. A

night to thank and congratulate our outgoing mayor for her wonderful

service in that capacity, and to welcome and embrace the expected passing

of the gavel to Debbie Cook.

* RON DAVIS is a private attorney who lives in Huntington Beach. He

can be reached by e-mail at o7 [email protected]