Walnut City Council Selects Cartagena as Mayor

Longtime Walnut City Councilman Antonio "Tony" Cartagena will serve as mayor.

The Walnut City Council Wednesday night voted unanimously to appoint Cartagena  to serve as mayor, replacing Tom King, who resigned effective July 1.

Cartagena had been mayor pro tem.

The council also voted for Cartagena to be mayor for a year rather than until King's term expires in April. Cartagena's term will now go until the first council meeting in July 2014.

The council also voted unanimously to appoint Councilwoman Nancy Tragarz as mayor pro tem.

Before the vote for Tragarz, Councilman Eric Ching said he would agree with selecting Tragarz but thought he should be in the running for mayor pro tem as well.

"By this rotation, I thought I would at least be considered as mayor pro tem," Ching said. "I would love the oppty to serve with my qualifications, but I will support Nancy to be the mayor pro tem."

After the vote and the swearing in, Ching said that the selection of Tragarz did not follow the usual rotation and that he hoped the council would "stick to whatever it was in the past."

King announced his resignation in June, stepping down because he and his wife Margie have moved out of Walnut. The city is now taking applications until July 23 to appoint someone to the vacant council seat. The council will have a special meeting July 31 to hear from the candidates and possibly make a selection.

During Wednesday night's meeting, former state Assemblyman Bob Pacheco swore in Cartagena for his fourth time as mayor. City Clerk Teresa de Dios swore in Tragarz.

 “Thank you to my colleagues for the fact that it looks like I have earned your trust and confidence to serve,” Cartagena said.