Palm Springs Mayor Selection Debate Draws Crowd, Former Officials, and Legal Warnings

Palm Springs City Council heard a packed room of public input Wednesday night as officials continued discussing whether to replace the city's rotating mayor system with a directly elected mayor serving a longer term.

The proposal would shift away from the current model, in place since 2018, where council members take turns in the role each year. Cities like La Quinta, Desert Hot Springs, and Coachella already use a voter-elected mayor system.

Former Mayor Lisa Middleton showed up in support of the change. "A rotational mayor owes their position to their colleagues on the city council," she said. "A mayor should owe their position to the people who elect them. I think right now our focus needs to be on creating the opportunity for the people of Palm Springs to have a say in who's going to be their mayor."

But opposition was equally vocal, and some warned the proposal could land the city in court. Former Mayor Geoff Kors argued the at-large structure would conflict with California voting rights law and a prior legal settlement Palm Springs reached with a Latino voting rights group. "To put the city at risk of tens of millions of dollars, and in Santa Monica, a decade of litigation, for a ceremonial position is outrageous," Kors said.

Former U.S. Senator Barbara Boxer also weighed in against the proposal, saying the rotating system works well and pointing to her own experience in county government, where board presidency rotated similarly.

The proposal remains in the discussion phase. City leaders say no formal action has been taken, and public input will continue before any vote on whether to bring the question to Palm Springs voters as a ballot measure.