Palm Desert Mayor, Mayor Pro Tem Appointed At Thursday's Meeting

PALM DESERT, CA — Palm Desert City Councilmember Jan Harnik was expected to be appointed Palm Desert's next mayor at Thursday's City Council Meeting. Council Member Evan Trubee was expected to be named the next mayor pro tempore at that council meeting. The meeting was slated to begin at 4 p.m. Thursday at City Council chambers.

New council member Joe Pradetto will be sworn in during the council session, and outgoing council member Katheleen Kelly was expected to offer comments.

The appointment formalizes the rotating mayoral system, emphasizing seniority and prior service, as was decided upon by the council in April.

The appointment of the mayor prioritizes the immediately preceding mayor pro team, and the appointment of the next mayor pro tem prioritizes the council member with the longest continuous service since last serving as Mayor, if ever.

"Although Councilmember Nestande, who last served as Mayor in 2020, meets the criteria, she deferred her service as Mayor Pro Tem in 2023. In her place, Evan Trubee, elected in November 2022, is next in line for this appointment based on seniority and eligibility," the city clerk's report states.

In Palm Springs, Ron deHarte will be sworn in as the 25th mayor of Palm Springs at a City Council meeting Thursday.

The current mayor pro tem and representative of District 3, deHarte is set to become the city's first openly gay Mexican American mayor. He is also the CEO of Greater Palm Springs Pride.

Naomi Soto, a Measure J Oversight Commission chair, and David Ready, a former city manager, will also be sworn at Thursday's meeting, representing Districts 4 and 5, respectively.

Outgoing Mayor Jeffrey Bernstein and Councilmembers Lisa Middleton and Christy Holstege are expected to deliver final remarks.

The agenda for the City Council meeting -- scheduled to begin at 5:30 p.m. Thursday in City Hall, according to the city calendar, and open to the public -- also contains consent items to be voted upon by the current council members. Residents can also watch live at palmspringsca.gov, Palm Springs Community Television Channel 17 or the official Palm Springs YouTube channel.