Huntington Beach Mayor Matthew Harper will recommend the city council ask voters to approve directly electing the community’s mayor, instead of letting the seven-member city council do it.

Under Harper’s proposal, the mayoral election would be held every four years at the same time voters elect the state’s governor.

His plan still would leave it to the council to elect the mayor pro tem, who fills in when the mayor is unavailable.

Harper, who is running for state Assembly, would have the first Huntington Beach mayor election take place in 2018.

Please contact Tracy Wood directly at twood@voiceofoc.org and follow her on Twitter: twitter.com/tracyVOC.

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