Former Anaheim Mayor Curt Pringle has applied for a city charter review commission that will recommend changes to how the city is governed.
The City Council is scheduled at Tuesday night’s council meeting to make five appointments to the seven-member commission, with each council member making a single appointment. The two remaining commissioners are to be selected by tonight’s appointees.
A city charter stipulates the nuts and bolts of a city’s governing system. Among other things, the charter dictates the form of city government. Anaheim’s is a council-manager system, whereby the city manager runs day-to-day affairs of the city and the seven-member council sets policy. Changes to the city charter must be put to a citywide vote.
Although out of office for years, Pringle remains an influential behind-the-scenes player at City Hall. Councilwoman Kris Murray went so far as to describe him and others who wield power in Anaheim as “masters of the universe.”
His lobbying firm, Pringle & Associates helped push through the controversial $158-million room tax subsidy for hotel developer Bill O’Connell. His firm also helped secure testing permits for Los Angeles County-based Signal Hill Petroleum in several Orange County cities.
But the application for the city charter commission is the first time Pringle has sought a seat on a government body at the city since he was succeeded by Mayor Tom Tait in 2010.
It is unclear what Pringle’s goals for the city charter commission would be. He did not return a phone call seeking comment.
Please contact Adam Elmahrek directly at aelmahrek@voiceofoc.org and follow him on Twitter: twitter.com/adamelmahrek