At 5 p.m. sharp on Friday, embattled San Diego Mayor Bob Filner was officially stripped of his title, and San Diego City Council President Todd Gloria took over as interim mayor.
Gloria and his team moved into the mayor’s office at City Hall right away. Gloria then held a brief press conference.
"I wanted to tell you, It's a new day in San Diego," said Gloria. "Shortly after 5 p.m., I went up to the mayor's office. It’s clear, there’s a lot of work to be done."
Gloria said his work as interim mayor will begin at 9 a.m. Tuesday.
“We’re going to move the city forward,” he added.
Earlier in the day, Gloria briefly spoke to NBC 7 about his game plan as interim mayor.
“We have been working on a list of pending items. I think it will get longer. Well start attacking it one-by-one. The days of sliding backward are over. We’re going to move forward. And that starts with a lot of pending items, much of which we’ll probably get started on Tuesday morning.”
Meanwhile, Filner was nowhere to be found Friday, just hours before his time as mayor was up. At 3:30 p.m., NBC 7 spoke to members of Filner’s security detail, who said no one was in the mayor’s office.
IMAGES: Mayor Under Fire
NBC 7 also reached out to Filner’s former fiancée, Bronwyn Ingram, regarding Filner’s last day in office. Ingram was one of the people who publicly urged Filner to resign amid allegations of sexual harassment.
On Friday, Ingram told NBC 7 she has complete confidence in Gloria’s ability to lead San Diego as interim mayor.
“I sincerely hope that everyone will rally around and support interim mayor Todd Gloria as he refocuses the mayor's office on managing city business,” said Ingram. “I have worked closely with interim mayor Gloria on the issue of homelessness and I know him to be extremely professional, competent, and caring. I have the upmost confidence in his ability to lead San Diego in his new role.”
Former mayoral candidate Carl DeMaio released the following statement to mark Filner’s departure from office:
“San Diegans are grateful that this sad chapter has come to a close. It’s time to get back to the people’s business – and that can best be achieved by electing a Mayor with the integrity, sincerity, and compassion that will make our city proud again.”
DeMaio also said he’ll announce his decision to enter the mayoral race on Tuesday at 11 a.m.
Before Gloria’s Friday evening press conference, his office released a statement about Filner’s last official business as mayor.
Hours before his resignation became official, Gloria says Filner issued a “Stop Use Order” for a construction project at a Jack in the Box in North Park. The order was then rescinded by Gloria, who released this statement about Filner’s final act:
“Bob Filner’s last act was symbolic of his entire tenure as Mayor: it was contradictory and exposed the City of San Diego to liability. While Filner was Mayor, his staff approved the permit for the renovations on Jack in the Box in North Park. Before leaving office for the final time today, Filner issued a Stop Use Order to Jack in the Box for the same project that he had approved. I agree the Land Development Code must be changed so that the scenario experienced in North Park cannot be repeated. Unfortunately, Mayor Filner didn’t see it fit to change the rules while he was in office, but I’ll clean that mess up, too.”
Learn about the Jack in the Box project here.
As for his first weekend as interim mayor, Gloria says he plans to spend some time at City Hall over the holiday weekend to assess the issues that require attention following Filner’s term.
“I am extremely humbled to take on this role and excited for the opportunity to get San Diego moving forward again,” said Gloria in a prepared statement. "In the past week, I have been briefed about several issues that have languished on Mayor Filner's desk, and I expect I'll learn about more challenges when I enter the office. Working with the City Council, City Attorney, and our dedicated City employees, I am confident progress will occur in the days and weeks ahead."
Gloria will spend his first full day in the mayor’s office on Tuesday. He plans to meet with his staff, talk to leaders at City departments and partake in an event with the American Red Cross.
Over the Labor Day weekend, Gloria will attend the U.S. Sand Sculpting event on the Broadway Pier and tour beach areas with the Lifeguard Chief on Monday.
