Gamble is Chosen New Council Member by Unanimous Vote

It was over in eight minutes. There was a motion, a second, a few minutes of comments—most notably from councilman Steve Baric—and Carol Gamble became the fifth member of the Rancho Santa Margarita City Council.

Over an arduous 56-day process, Gamble was selected Wednesday over 20 other candidates, a group that Baric referred to as "an embarrassment of riches."

She succeeds Gary Thompson, who resigned on March 3 to care for his parents and focus on his business interests. The council had until May 2 to name a successor or risk spending more than $100,000 on a special election in November.

She was the unanimous selection of Mayor Tony Beall, Jerry Holloway and Baric. Jesse Petrilla, training with the California National Guard in Fort Worth, KY, did not participate in the meeting.

Gamble was a frontrunner from the outset with her involvement in the RSM Cityhood Committee. She is essentially one of the founding fathers of Rancho Santa Margarita and was tabbed to be the public face of that movement in the 1990s.  During her initial interview before this council, she said she had spoken at more than 300 events as a representative of the community.

She has been a mayor, mayor pro tempore, and council member. She was selected to the city's original city council, and became its mayor in 2001. She resigned in 2004 to care for her ailing parents.

"I'm ready, willing and certainly able to serve again," Gamble said. "It's very simple. We need to protect our precious village. This is a great place. We really need to remember how lucky we are. We need to enhance and preserve the extremely special quality of life that we all enjoy here. People who know me hear this all the time, you can either be part of the problem or you can be part of the solution. Mr. Mayor, I’m ready to be part of the solution. Right here, tonight, today."

Gamble was the first choice of Mayor Tony Beall and councilman Jerry Holloway when the councilmen disclosed their primary choices for Thomspon's successor at a special meeting on April 17. She did not appear in the top 3 lists of Baric, whose primary choice was Peter Whittingham, or Petrilla, who favored Kenney Hrabik.

Since then, Petrilla withdrew from the vote citing his inability to attend any further meetings via teleconference. Hrabik withdrew his name from consideration in a specially called meeting on Tuesday even though he had been included in the lists of three of the four councilmen.

Holloway opened with the motion for Gamble, and Beall seconded. Then there was discussion that was more commentary than debate led by Baric. He then provided the meeting's most impressive comments.

"I started this process wanting and hoping to pick a new leader for Rancho Santa Margarita, someone who's accomplished in their personal life but had also shown recent involvement in the community," Baric said. "(Former planning commissioner) Beverly Curtin made a good point, 'We don't want to have change for the sake of change itself.' We saw (April 17) that for folks who lack experience, that it may lead to inefficient government."

He was referencing Petrilla's refusal to submit three names for the purpose of building a consensus of preferred candidates. It was a frustrating meeting that leaned toward five hours that left councilmen and audience members exasperated. Like Baric, Petrilla, 27, is a rookie council member.



"However, I believe that an experienced new leader who can bring a fresh perspective would allow this council to mimic our planning commission, which has reached rapidly a state of harmony and good works," Baric said. "I meant what I said, that any of those 12 applicants are extremely talented and would do a phenomenal job here. I think the more overriding goal in this community now is not finding a new leader with a fresh perspective, but rather I do believe our most pressing goal is to get this issue behind us and move this community forward in the spirit of cooperation and cohesion on this city council. ... Often in order to build a good working relationship, someone has to take the first step forward. ...

"I think it's in the best interest of this community at this point to move forward, make a selection that is a comprehensive unanimous decision of this council so that we can get behind the new council member and work toward making not only her a success but the entire council."

After a short comment by Beall, the three men cast their vote. Gamble took the oath, then took her seat on the dais between Beall and the spot occupied by Petrilla.

The council interviewed 12 of 21 applicants for the position. The 12 were interviewed in two groups of six. The four councilmen created a short list in that April 17 meeting. Gamble received two first place votes, Michael Safranski received three second place votes. Whittingham and Hrabik received one first place vote. Brad McGirr and Curt Stanley were the only other candidates named, both on Beall's ballot.

When Hrabik withdrew on Tuesday, he threw his support to Safranski.

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Safranski was in Seattle on Wednesday on business related to his role as director of facilities for Emulex Corp. He is also board president of the Trabuco Canyon Water District. He was gracious and said he held no ill will toward Gamble.

"It's an important decision, but they need to show unity by going forward," Safranski said on Wednesday afternoon. "(Gamble) is one of the founding members of the community, put in a lot of hard work in the city formation. She's paid her dues, she did the heavy lifting. She's been mayor, she's more than capable of stepping in and doing it. I hold nothing against Carol Gamble. She's done a great job for the city. She's demonstrated it."

Thompson, who was present in the audience Wednesday, said he was pleased with the outcome, and he gave credit to Baric, who he had clashed with previously both during last year's campaign and in council chambers.

"Baric was very good," Thompson said, 'and I think he realized the best interests of the city are served by making this a consensus pick for the good of the city, and I applaud him for that."