KTLA

Mayor Pro Tem Tito Ortiz will keep title for now, Huntington Beach City Council decides

The Huntington Beach City Council decided on Feb. 1, 2021, to table a motion that would take away the mayor pro tem title from Tito Ortiz.

Monday night’s Huntington Beach City Council meeting turned into an airing of dirty laundry against Mayor Pro Tem Tito Ortiz.

As the clock moved past midnight, however, it became clear that Ortiz would keep that title.

In the end, the council agreed to table an agenda item that would have stripped Ortiz of his mayor pro tem position. The item under consideration claimed he had “failed to perform at a level expected for this position and demonstrated little commitment to serving in the role with honor and dignity.”

Ortiz, a lifelong Huntington Beach resident who was previously a mixed martial arts fighter and had no prior political experience, was elected in November with the most votes in city history. He has since drawn the ire of many on the City Council for his refusal to wear a mask during the coronavirus pandemic, which has resulted in Ortiz being kicked out of a strategic planning meeting, then involved with a controversy with local chain TK Burgers.

Read the full story on LATimes.com.