MANHATTAN BEACH — Manhattan Beach will go a few more months without a mayor.
The Manhattan Beach City Council opted not to appoint a mayor at its Tuesday, July 7, regular meeting, according to City Clerk Marlene Yurek.
Yurek said the council will wait for the Nov. 3 general election to determine who will fill the city’s vacant mayoral position.
The council had a special meeting June 16 to interview two candidates for the position. The seat has been empty since the spring resignation of Kevin Larson, marking multiple departures from the council in the past two years.
Isaac Wannebo and Mark Johnson, both on the city’s planning and zoning commission, appeared before the council June 16 to answer questions about their qualifications, priorities and vision for Manhattan Beach.
The vacancy stemmed from the resignation of Larson, who stepped down following the council’s April 7 meeting. Larson, who had served as mayor since Sept. 2, 2025, cited the passing of his wife as the reason he was unable to continue with city business.
Council documentation and the July 7 meeting recording were unavailable for review due to the city’s website being inaccessible.
Tom Fraki is a news reporter for the Pineandlakes Echo Journal, covering news in Crosslake, Breezy Point and Pequot Lakes. He reports on Crosslake and Breezy Point city councils, as well as the Pequot Lakes School Board.
He also writes a personal column called Tom’s Take where he writes stories about himself and life in the lakes area.
Contact him at tom.fraki@pineandlakes.com or 218-855-5863 (be sure to leave a message).