Retired law enforcement officer Rick Loeffler was appointed to fill a vacant seat in a 3-1 vote by the remaining four San Clemente city councilors during a special meeting on May 23.
Loeffler promised city councilors that he would treat the appointment as a placeholder and would not run for reelection in 2024.
“The position should go to a qualified placeholder until the voters have the opportunity to decide who will fill the seat for the full term at the next general election,” Loeffler said during the meeting. “All the candidates in 2024 should start on an even playing field and not have the advantage of running as an incumbent based on the vote of three councilmembers.”…