Joe Mosca appointed to deputy mayor position

In a swift unanimous vote, Encinitas Council member Joe Mosca was appointed to the deputy mayor seat on Dec. 20.

Mayor Catherine Blakespear, after thanking outgoing Deputy Mayor Tony Kranz for his past year of service, nominated Mosca without further immediate comment. The other council members quickly agreed.

The deputy mayor also traditionally serves as the president of the San Dieguito Water District.

Mosca, a three-year Olivenhain resident, was appointed to the Encinitas City Council in January 2017, filling a seat that was left vacant when Blakespear was elected to the mayor’s position. Previously, he had served on the Encinitas Parks & Recreation Commission and on the Sierra Madre City Council for four years from 2006 to 2011, including one year as mayor.

“I am very excited to have an opportunity to serve Encinitas in an even greater role as deputy mayor,” Mosca said. “I’m very humbled and honored to have the full support of my colleagues.”

Blakespear said the deputy mayor’s position is rotated annually, and she thought placing Mosca in the seat made the most sense, given the other council members’ busy schedules in 2018.

“It’s a useful experience for the newest council member to be president of the water board and understand more about the way the city functions,” she said. “In the next year, Mark [Muir] is busy being chair of the [San Diego] County Water Authority, while Tasha [Boerner Horvath] is busy running for Assembly and Tony just served in this role.”

Mosca will begin his one-year term as deputy mayor in January.