District 1 City Councilman President Scott Peters was re-elected Monday, Nov. 13, to serve another year as the council president for 2007 in an 8-0 vote, and won praise from Mayor Jerry Sanders for his “ability to build consensus.”
“Scott has clearly defined what it means to be Council President in San Diego. His dedication, vision and ability to build consensus make him an ideal choice during this critical time in the city’s history,” said Sanders in a statement afterwards.
Peters, who has represented District 1 since 2000, is the first council president under the strong mayor form of government that voters approved in 2004, which separates the mayor from the City Council. Peters was nominated for the second time by District 3 Councilwoman Toni Atkins, who briefly served as deputy mayor in 2005 following the resignation of Mayor Dick Murphy.
Seven members of the public praised Peters, including Miriam Brown, who said Peters has “a calm, pastoral demeanor.” Peters’ father is a minister.
“You’ve done a great job. You’ve been fair. You let people speak,” District 4 Councilman Tony Young said.
Phil Hart, the lone speaker opposed to Peters as president, said Peters “hasn’t shown leadership” in forming a plan to solve the city’s “suffocating debt of $4 to $5 million.” Hart added that he didn’t think four others on the City Council should serve as president either, but praised Donna Frye.
Sanders said in his statement that “we share the goal of reforming and improving our great city.” He added that he looked forward to continue his work with Peters and the City Council “to complete the series of reforms begun this year and restore the city’s financial integrity.”
In Peters’ closing remarks, he said, “I want to thank all my council colleagues for your support. We are well on our way for reform. We have approved all 121 recommendations (in the Kroll Report) for reform in concept. We’ve also made progress on streets, sidewalks and infrastructure.”
Under council rules, the president can only serve two one-year terms, and someone else will have to be elected council president in 2008.