Laura Bettencourt becomes City of Palmdale Mayor after annual rotation

Laura Bettencour, She become Mayor now and all of 2023. The Council will decide at a future meeting how the next councilmember will rotate into mayor's position in 2024.

Some criteria could include seniority, majority vote of the council, sequential order (where district 3 councilmember is now Mayor, next one would be district 4 rep, next one would be district 5).

Pictured new elected council members

Laura Bettencourt Mayor also representing the 3rd District.

Andrea Alarcon new mayor pro-tem representing newly created 5th District.

Representing the 4th District Eric Ohlsen was sworn in as a new councilman.

Tonight's meeting was historic on many fronts. This is the first time three members of the Council reside on the eastside; first time both the Mayor and Mayor Pro-Tem are women; Alarcon becomes first Latina elected to Council; and first time two registered Democrats were elected to Council.

Palmdale City Council members voted to rotate the mayor’s job among themselves every year. Under the new system that previous council voted last spring that there will be no election for mayor.

Photos Courtesy of : Sandy Corrales