Mayor Nihart's Done: What's Next?

Today is Pacifica City Councilwoman Mary Ann Nihart’s last day as mayor.

The position is passed off to a new councilmember each year following a vote of the council. Protocol suggests that the current Mayor Pro Tem, Councilman Pete DeJarnatt, will take the reins from Nihart at the .

Nihart’s term as mayor has not been an easy one.

The city faced nearly $1.5 million in while voters turned down a , the campaign for which Nihart spearheaded. Staff had to deal with  allegations without the help of a fulltime city attorney, who was as a result of budget cuts. A settlement with the regional water quality control board over a sewage spill in 2008 and many of dollars in sewer system repairs, for which taxpayers will foot the bill. Attempts to trim or stop golf at the Sharp Park Golf Course have intensified, the most recent development being a vote of the San Francisco Board of Supervisors to begin the process to potentially .  

Still, successes marked Nihart’s term, as well. City staff and dog lovers broke ground on Pacifica’s last week, a project Nihart took a personal hand in. Pacifica received national media attention for its success in Rand McNally’s , a temporary ban on predatory lenders in city limits and Nihart created a to keep Pacifica looking good.

Although many of these successes, tough choices and blunders were not the result of Nihart’s leadership alone, she was often clearly personally invested and demonstrated that she believed her reputation was on the line at each council meeting.

Hopefully her successor, who will likely inherit responsibility for many of these problems (including even bigger budget cuts next year), will share her dedication and, perhaps most importantly, possess a clear vision for 2012. 

For more news about Pacifica and surrounding areas, including the San Mateo County Coastside, follow us on Twitter and "like" us on Facebook.