New mayor to be chosen in Menlo Park: Duboc seems the likely choice New mayor to be chosen in Menlo Park: Duboc seems the likely choice (December 03, 2003)

It's time for the annual mayoral shuffle in Menlo Park. At their meeting on Tuesday, December 2, the members of the City Council are set to choose a new mayor and mayor pro tempore.

If the council follows its usual policy, Lee Duboc, who is mayor pro tem and a member of the new majority that was elected last year, will become the city's next mayor.

According to a rotation policy in place since 1993, the council is to choose a person each year who's been on the council at least a year but who has not yet served as mayor. Both Ms. Duboc and Councilwoman Mickie Winkler fall into that category.

In addition, the mayor pro tem is typically next in line to become mayor, Ms. Duboc said.

"I believe it's going to be me," she said. "But anything's possible in life."

Ms. Duboc added that she plans to nominate Ms. Winkler for mayor pro tem if no other council member does.

Nicholas Jellins is currently mayor and was so previously in 2001. Paul Collacchi served as mayor in 1999, and Chuck Kinney in 1998.

The mayoral position is chiefly a ceremonial role; the mayor chairs council meetings and works with the city manager to create council agendas. His or her votes carry no more weight than those of other council members.

The rotation policy can be overridden with a simple majority vote of the council.

Last year's changing of the guard was a little different. Mr. Kinney would have become mayor for 2003 if the council had followed the policy. According to the policy, if everyone on the council who has served a year has already been mayor, the one who was mayor longest ago shall be chosen.

But the council's new majority instead bucked the policy and chose Mr. Jellins, with Mr. Kinney nominating himself and only Mr. Collacchi voting for him.

The December 2 meeting begins at 7 p.m. in the council chambers at 801 Laurel St.

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