Sue Kempf was unanimously elected mayor of Laguna Beach by her fellow councilmembers on Tuesday, relieving Bob Whalen after his three-year stint in the mayor’s seat.
Whalen traded seats with Kempf, taking the mayor pro tem seat after a 4-0-1 vote with Councilmember George Weiss abstaining. Weiss nominated councilmember Toni Iseman for Mayor Pro Tem.
Kempf lauded Whalen for his long-track record in public service which includes 10 years as a Laguna Beach Unified School District board member and two terms as a planning commissioner.
“That’s what a true community person looks like,” Kempf said. “His sacrifices [for] our community and contributions to our community are pretty much unparalleled in Laguna Beach and I want to thank you so much for that Bob.”
As Laguna Beach’s pandemic mayor, Whalen was the city figurehead at a time of unpopular health orders—beaches were closed, merchants were unable to do business indoors, and beloved arts organizations transitioned to virtual-only programs for months.
During a horrific surge of COVID-19 hospitalizations in January 2021, Whalen led the council to increase the LB CARES COVID-19 relief package to $2 million. The initiative deferred tax payments for struggling hoteliers and partnered with the Laguna Beach Community Foundation to issue emergency grants to hundreds of residents and workers who were furloughed or laid off because of the pandemic.
Paula Hornbuckle-Arnold, represented the Laguna Beach Chamber of Commerce on a task force including Whalen, city management, healthcare, and business leaders that held a weekly conference call in the pandemic’s early days.
“The Chamber was getting phone calls about grants and PPP funding. When I didn’t have an answer Bob was the first person I turned to,” Hornbuckle-Arnold said.
Known by community members for even-keeled temperament and knack for long-term planning, Whalen was challenged to maintain order in the council chambers during heated exchanges between councilmember Peter Blake, Iseman, and Weiss. He introduced a civility and decorum policy that has received mixed reviews from residents and ultimately allowed for Blake’s censure.
On Tuesday, Kempf read a lengthy proclamation listing programs and projects the City accomplished during his time as mayor. He emphasized that it was really the work of all five councilmembers working together with city staffers that made it all possible.
“I’m very pleased that Sue is going to take over as mayor,” Whalen said. “I think she’s going to do an excellent job for us. She’s really well connected in the community and I’m sure she’s going to have her own agenda that she wants to pursue.”
Kempf has been active in civic issues since moving to Laguna Beach in 1999 during her career as a telecommunications executive.
She previously served as a planning commissioner and Emergency Disaster Preparedness Committee member before being elected to the City Council in 2018. Since her election, Kempf has largely voted as part of a majority also including Whalen and Blake that has been friendlier to businesses and homeowners by reforming the city’s design review and permit processes.
As a resident of Bluebird Canyon, Kempf has also invested her time in confronting the city’s very high wildfire hazard severity. She served on a city council subcommittee that produced the 2019 Wildfire Mitigation and Fire Safety Plan. This lengthy wishlist included short-term projects including the expanded Outdoor Warning System and buying a HeloPod capable of refilling firefighting helicopters mid-flight—as well as harder projects like doubling down on efforts to underground utility lines along Laguna Canyon Road.
Since the outbreak of COVID-19, Kempf supported allowing restaurants outdoor dining on Forest Avenue and numerous sites throughout town. Earlier this year, she also spearheaded the Neighborhood & Environmental Protection Plan that earmarked $2 million in new revenue from a public parking rate increase to fix impacts of visitors using trails, parks, beaches, and adjoining neighborhoods.
“Collaborative work within the City Council and with City Staff is key to continuing that momentum and moving forward together,” Kempf said in a press release. “I look forward to partnering with residents, our business community and my colleagues on the City Council to enhance services and further define our priorities for the future.”
