Outgoing Mayor Steve Dicterow Talks Politics Of Laguna Beach

LAGUNA BEACH, CA — Laguna Beach's outgoing Mayor Pro Tem Steve Dicterow looks back on his time as city councilmember as a "cherished opportunity."

In the most recent Nov. 2020 election, Dicterow was the last candidate to cross the finish line. Still, he is pleased knowing that "democracy is alive and well," he said at his last city council session on Dec. 1. "We've never had this level of participation" among voters on a national level, he said.

The 66-year-old councilmember has served for five terms, starting in 1994 through 2006, then pausing to return from 2012 to 2020, and spent four of those terms as Mayor.

Dicterow first moved to Laguna Beach in 1983. During the time spent on the city council, he focused on public safety, resolving litigation that the city is involved in, and increasing local law enforcement. He served "with a legal background which helped with legal matters "especially during closed sessions."

His fellow councilmembers shared his accolades in a recent resolution signed by Mayor Bob Whalen. During the Dec. 1 council session, numerous residents and the entire city council lauded his efforts, and Mayor Bob Whalen thanked Dicterow for a "job well done."

At the presentation of his Resolution, Dicterow spoke on what it meant to serve Laguna Beach for 20 years.

"I am so grateful to this town for giving me the honor of serving them for 20 years," he said during the session. "I am going to miss doing that, but I have never felt more hopeful and optimistic about the future."

Dicterow is currently at work on his first novel, he told the Daily Pilot in a recent interview. He is also a partner at the intellectual property firm, One LLP.