San Diego's Mayor, whose win in Nov was questioned, resigns! [View All]

[rumpel]

http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-sdmayor26apr26,0,5025596.story?coll=la-home-local

Under Fire, San Diego Mayor Quits
Dick Murphy was buffeted by a clouded reelection and federal probes. City Council can call an election or appoint a successor.

By Tony Perry and Richard Marosi, Times Staff Writers

SAN DIEGO — Mayor Dick Murphy, who won a disputed election five months ago, abruptly announced his resignation Monday amid mounting criticism of his handling of the city's pension deficit and threats of a recall.

Murphy read a short statement and took no questions. "It is clear the city needs a fresh start," the 62-year-old Republican and former Superior Court judge said at a hastily called news conference.

Murphy had become the focus of public anger toward City Hall over a pension deficit of nearly $2 billion and investigations by the Securities and Exchange Commission and the U.S. attorney's office. He said he will stay in office until July 15.

His stature as mayor, already damaged by the city's weak response to the 2003 wildfires, was further undermined by an election victory in November in which he was declared the winner only after thousands of votes for a write-in challenger were declared invalid.

Last week, Murphy was singled out by Time magazine as "one of the three worst mayors in the country," causing an uproar in this image-conscious city.

:woohoo: