Redondo Appoints Acting City Treasurer

Redondo Beach has a new, temporary acting city treasurer.

Tom Gaian was appointed to the position after a unanimous vote Tuesday night by the Redondo Beach City Council at its regular meeting.

"I do have a lot of experience in this area—I was the Aviation High School student body treasurer in 1960," Gaian joked before his tone turned serious. "I've got to believe that between all the people at the city and … the (deputy) city treasurer that there's more than enough hands out there to get from Point A to Point B."

Gaian has served on the city's historical and public works commissions, and was a past governor of the Pacific Stock Exchange as well as a past president and chief executive officer of Kemper Capital Markets and a senior vice president of financial services company Wedbush, Noble Cook, Inc.

Ernie O'Dell, the former elected city treasurer, resigned last week. Because there are more than two years left in his term, the city's charter mandates that his replacement be elected.

The election will take place May 14—the same day as a likely runoff election from the March 5 municipal election—and will cost the city $160,000. If there is a runoff, the cost will remain about the same.

O'Dell had originally asked that Deputy City Treasurer Frank Rowlen be appointed acting city treasurer; however, because the city treasurer is an elected position, the person who is appointed acting treasurer must be a Redondo Beach resident.

Rowlen, who planned to retire at the beginning of 2013, does not live in Redondo Beach.

Nevertheless, to aid in the transition with Gaian and the elected treasurer, Rowlen has agreed to remain with the city until the end of 2013.

Also at Tuesday night's meeting, former city councilman Chris Cagle announced that he would be running for city treasurer.