The Huntington Beach City Council will consider removing Tito Ortiz as the city’s mayor pro tem during Monday night’s City Council meeting.
An agenda item brought forward by Mayor Kim Carr, Councilman Mike Posey and Councilman Dan Kalmick asks that the panel do three things: Consider a “No Confidence” vote in Ortiz, remove him from the position and identify another council member to serve as mayor pro tem for the remainder of 2021.
“It’s a leadership role,” Carr said. “There are certain responsibilities and expectations that council members, the community, business leaders expect from their elected leaders … We need the mayor pro tem to be reflective of the community and represent the city the way that the community wants it to be represented. It has nothing to do with his opinions, it has nothing to do with his political preferences. It really is based on his actions, and how he conducts himself as mayor pro tem out in the community.”
Ortiz, a lifelong Huntington Beach resident and former professional UFC fighter, was elected to the City Council last November with the most votes in city history. But he has drawn controversy with his refusal to wear a mask during the COVID-19 pandemic. Most recently, he apologized to his City Council colleagues after making an Instagram story criticizing TK Burgers. The popular franchise’s Huntington Beach location declined to serve him on Jan. 17 because he wasn’t wearing a mask.
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