Huntington Beach City Council Appoints Rhonda Bolton To Replace Tito Ortiz
HUNTINGTON BEACH (CBSLA) – The Huntington Beach City Council Monday filled the seat which was vacated by controversial former Councilman Tito Ortiz last month.
Rhonda Bolton was sworn in Monday night by a 4-2 vote and is believed to be the first Black councilmember in Huntington Beach history, according to the Los Angeles Times.
The lawyer and mother of two was one of 105 candidates interviewed by the city council over the past month, the Times reports.
Former Huntington Beach Mayor Pro Tem Tito Ortiz resigned on June 1 after a series of controversial incidents.
The former mixed martial arts fighter came under fire a number of times since his election in November of 2020, most recently after a video of his girlfriend, Amber Miller, saying they were removing Ortiz's sons from in-person learning over mask mandates went viral.
Ortiz was outspoken about his anti-mask views, refusing to wear them at city council meetings, surviving an attempt to oust him as mayor pro tem, and attending a food distribution event where he was caught on camera confronting a person who asked why he was not wearing a face mask.
He was also caught in a scandal after he applied for unemployment benefits despite being actively employed by the city of Huntington Beach at the time.
The City wishes to congratulate and give a warm welcome to Rhonda Bolton, who was appointed to fill a City Council vacancy.
— City of Huntington Beach (@CityofHBPIO) July 27, 2021
We look forward to Council Member Bolton working alongside our other dedicated Council Members to make Surf City the best community for all!#OneHB pic.twitter.com/GAZ9i7wELx