SAN DIEGO — Mayor Dick Murphy, who won a disputed election five months ago, abruptly announced his resignation Monday amid mounting criticism of his handling of the city's pension deficit and threats of a recall.
Murphy read a short statement and took no questions. "It is clear the city needs a fresh start," the 62-year-old Republican and former Superior Court judge said at a hastily called news conference.
Murphy had become the focus of public anger toward City Hall over a pension deficit of nearly $2 billion and investigations by the Securities and Exchange Commission and the U.S. attorney's office. He said he will stay in office until July 15.
His stature as mayor, already damaged by the city's weak response to the 2003 wildfires, was further undermined by an election victory in November in which he was declared the winner only after thousands of votes for a write-in challenger were declared invalid.
Last week, Murphy was singled out by Time magazine as "one of the three worst mayors in the country," causing an uproar in this image-conscious city.
"At some point he realized it was just not going to get better," said John Kern, his former chief of staff and top political confidant for 25 years.
At the news conference, surrounded by his family and staff, Murphy struggled to keep his voice from breaking. He declined to answer questions.
The mayor reached his decision Saturday and announced it to his staff Monday morning at a meeting that provoked tears and anger from his loyalists, according to a staff member.
Deputy Mayor Michael Zucchet will assume Murphy's mayoral duties once he leaves. The council will then decide whether to hold a special election or appoint a successor.
Zucchet, meanwhile, faces troubles of his own. He and Councilman Ralph Inzunza are to stand trial in May on charges of accepting illegal campaign contributions from the owner of a strip club. The post of deputy mayor is rotated annually among City Council members.
Although Murphy has been criticized because of the investigations, neither of the federal inquiries has yet resulted in criminal or civil charges and there is no indication Murphy is a target of either action.
Still, newly elected City Atty. Michael Aguirre had branded Murphy a hindrance to solving the city's legal and financial problems and earlier this month called on him to resign. An organization seeking Murphy's recall established a website and was preparing to gather signatures.
