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Palmdale councilmembers sworn in, new mayor selected

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[L to R] Laura Bettencourt, Eric Ohlsen, and Andrea Alarcón. (Contributed image)
The Palmdale City Council had three members sworn into office at the year’s final meeting on Wednesday, Dec. 21, 2022.

Laura Bettencourt of District 3, Eric Ohlsen of District 4, and Andrea Alarcón of District 5 officially took office to begin their new terms.

In a historic moment, Bettencourt was selected (by drawing) to serve as Palmdale’s mayor, while Alarcón was chosen unanimously by the city council to serve as mayor pro tem. For the first time in Palmdale’s history, two women will serve simultaneously in these city leadership roles.

Bettencourt was elected to her first term on the Palmdale City Council on May 19, 2009, and reelected on Nov. 3, 2009; Nov. 8, 2016; Nov. 6, 2018; and Nov. 8, 2022.  Alarcón and Ohlsen were elected to their first terms on the Palmdale City Council on Nov.8, 2022.

Palmdale’s next council meeting is scheduled for 7 p.m. Wednesday, Jan. 11, 2023, in the Council Chamber, located at 38300 Sierra Highway, Suite B. For details on past and future meetings, visit www.cityofpalmdale.org/CityCouncilMeetings.

[Information via news release from the city of Palmdale.]

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11 comments for "Palmdale councilmembers sworn in, new mayor selected"

  4. I see a new tone in Palmdale that could show promise. The jerk of a Mayor is now gone and that is a very good development. Watch Palmdale move forward with more independace better decisions from a bi- partisan city council.

    • It is great that the jerk of a mayor is gone. What is not great is that four of the current council are all bought and paid for by Rex and the Lancaster cabal. That is not good for Palmdale residents. Hold them accountable. They need to put Palmdale residents ahead of Lancaster interests.

  5. Nice to see Lancaster has two more council people to add to their other two. Five in Lancaster, four in Palmdale. Wrecks is having a great holiday in Laguna.

    • In theory, by reducing the number of citizens per council member from about forty thousand (160K/4) to something closer to thirty thousand (160K/5) each citizen becomes “more important” to their representative. This is actually how the council is organized in the vast majority of cities that are not just tiny.