Mayor Pro Tem Hadley Pens A Letter To The Editor On Being Mayor

MANHATTAN BEACH, CA — Manhattan Beach Mayor Pro Tem Suzanne Hadley has penned a Letter to the Editor. Here it is:

"For nearly 50 years, Manhattan Beach’s mayor has been selected on a rotational basis among its five city councilmembers. There appears to be no written policy regarding this, it’s just a well-worn tradition that has served our city well and provided a sense of fairness in selecting what is basically a ceremonial title. The mayor doesn’t have more or less power than a councilmember, it an honorary position that represents the council, the city and, well, somebody’s got to run the meetings.

By this tradition, I am scheduled to be selected by my colleagues as mayor of Manhattan Beach at our next public meeting on Tuesday, December 1.

I am aware of a whisper campaign among some who want to upend this tradition and pass me over for the mayor’s position. I understand my colleagues have even received a few emails from residents sharing such a sentiment. While some of them assert that continuity is important at a time like this, I understand they’re more about me than anything else. They don’t point to any high crimes or misdemeanors; it’s more about some folks not liking some things I’ve said or how I’ve said them.

I want to make it clear to everyone that I get it. I also want to make clear that I still think we should honor our traditions, not just for me, but for everyone who follows. And I want to make it crystal clear that I wish to serve as your mayor, and will do so with respect, compassion, humility, and cooperation.

I’ll be the first to admit that I have not been a perfect, polished councilmember. I’m not a politician. I’m from the Midwest where we speak directly, and speak our minds, without hiding the ball. I understand that I’ve ruffled a few feathers in that way, and that’s ok. Sometimes things deserve more than sugar-coated political double-speak.

What mistakes I’ve made have been learning experiences for sure. But they are more reflective of my inexperience as a media-savvy pol than of who I am as a person. For the record, I do take COVID-19 very seriously and have, along with my colleagues, fully supported the measures we’ve taken to reduce the spread and prevent infections and death. I will continue to do that. I also fully support our MBUSD school board and district, and their hard work to safely re-open our schools. If anything I’ve said or done has been interpreted differently, I’m sorry for that and will do better. My husband and I raised our four kids through Grandview, MBMS and Mira Costa, now all in college in beyond. I love this district; I want it to thrive for current and future MB families. As mayor, I’ll need to step back as a local advocate. There’s more than enough work to do at City Hall.

My one intention in serving as your mayor will be to unify our community, work with my colleagues and community leaders, and listen to our residents and businesses to make Manhattan Beach the best that it can be. I want to make sure all voices are heard. Being mayor isn’t going to be about me, it’s going to be about us, about Manhattan Beach. I fully understand that I will be representing all of council and all of our community when I say or do anything and it’s on me to put Manhattan Beach in the best light and act with dignity and respect for all at all times. This I promise.

I want to thank those who have supported me since my election for continuing to do so at these times. And I want to assure those who haven’t or don’t, that I will do everything that I can as mayor to make you proud of our city. Thank you."