DOWNEY — Downey’s new-look city council will be seated next month and one of its first tasks will be to fill its leadership positions for the upcoming year. 

Returning to the council is Mayor Blanca Pacheco, who was re-elected last week, along with Mayor Pro Tem Claudia Frometa and Councilman Sean Ashton.

Out are Rick Rodriguez and Alex Saab; they are expected to be replaced by Catherine Alvarez and Mario Trujillo, respectively. (Election results will be certified and made official in the coming weeks.)

It’s widely expected that Frometa’s council colleagues will elect her mayor for 2021. She’ll be tasked with guiding Downey as it navigates the throes of an unprecedented pandemic. 

The more complicated question is who council members will choose to serve as mayor pro tem, which could serve as a stepping stone to mayor in 2022. 

The mayor pro tem essentially plays the role of vice president, running meetings in the absence of the mayor. It’s a ceremonial position that often leads to the mayorship, although not always. The city council has the discretion to make any of its five members mayor with a simple majority vote.

This year, selecting a mayor pro tem will be trickier than years prior due to a combination of new, inexperienced members joining the city council and political discord. Below is a closer examination of the council’s options.  

Sean Ashton

Under normal circumstances, Ashton would be the obvious choice to serve as mayor pro tem. A six-year veteran of the city council, he’s served as mayor pro tem in the past and has a solid understanding of how city government works. 

However, he hasn’t endeared himself to his council colleagues. In 2016, Ashton accused the city council of breaking the state’s open meeting laws when it skipped him for the mayor pro tem position. (The council reversed its decision a week later.)

More recently, he drew criticism for posing for a photo with Catherine Alvarez, who has staged loud and profane protests outside the homes of council members. 

Blanca Pacheco

When Pacheco was sworn-in as Downey mayor in December 2019, she had no idea what the next 12 months held in store. Most people were expecting a genial year of ribbon cuttings, street festivals, summer concerts at the park, and everything else Downey residents have come to expect over the course of a typical calendar year. 

That went out the window in March when the coronavirus pandemic took grip. Pacheco had to change her approach to leadership, transitioning from a fun, easy-going mayor to a steady and reassuring hand. 

With the pandemic still raging and economic hurdles surely on the horizon, stability and experience could appeal to the city council, so slotting Pacheco in as mayor pro tem -- and giving her another opportunity as mayor in 2022 -- is a real possibility. 

Mario Trujillo

As a freshman council member, it’s unlikely the city council would immediately elevate Trujillo to mayor pro tem. He needs time to get his feet wet and learn the intricacies of local government. 

However, if the city council did decide to go with a rookie for mayor pro tem, Trujillo is the obvious choice. He is educated, ambitious, and has years of community involvement experience.

Catherine Alvarez

As founder of the Downey Tenants Union, Alvarez has participated in loud, vulgar protests outside the homes of city council members, including Pacheco and Frometa. She even showed up at the home of Councilman Rick Rodriguez at 11:30 pm, bullhorn in hand, while he was in the hospital.

As long as Pacheco, Frometa and Trujillo hold the council majority, it’s hard to imagine a scenario where they entrust Alvarez with any serious level of responsibility. 

Disclosure: Eric Pierce was a candidate for Downey City Council’s District 3 seat this past election.