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3:30pm | CityBeat has an unwritten rule that forbids the promotion of City Council meetings as lively entertainment, but tonight just may be different. Tonight's meeting may just be a Battle Royale--well, at least whatever the equivalent of a Battle Royale is in the world of city councilmembers.
  
The prize for tonight's possible throwdown--who reigns for the next two years as Vice-Mayor, the titular presider over Council meetings and face of the Council at many public events. It sounds more impressive if you say it in the "Let's Get Ready to Rumble" voice--Viiiiice-Mayooooor.
  
On the match card you have Coucilmember Suja "Ed Board Prez" Lowenthal and her entourage facing off against a Council bloc led by Councilmember Patrick "Surfin' Dude" O'Donnell.
  
Both Lowenthal and O'Donnell want to be Vice-Mayor, but only one can hold the title.
  
Setting the stage for a possible single round title bout at tonight's meeting was the decision yesterday by Councilmember Gary DeLong to not vote via teleconference from his vacation resort in the Bahamas.
  
DeLong, a member of Team Lowenthal, pulled his request because he said a motion would be introduced tonight holding over the vote for Vice-Mayor until all the Councilmembers are present.
  
Today, Councilmember Gerrie Schipske has said she believes the City Charter is clear and demands a vote on the Vice-Mayor at tonight's meeting.
  
Section 202(f) of the City Charter states, in part, that "The Council shall biennially, at the same time that Councilmembers regularly take office for new terms, select one of its members who shall be the Vice-Mayor."
  
Since tonight is the swearing in of freshmen Councilmembers James Johnson and Steve Neal, Schipske reads the "shall" in the City Charter language to mean a vote must at least be attempted tonight. To further this, Schipske said she will attempt to nominate O'Donnell as Vice-Mayor and move for a vote.
  
If that happens, tonight's battle is on.
  
With DeLong unable to vote, this would leave tonight's quorum at eight votes, with three members already indicating support for Lowenthal and three indicating support for O'Donnell.
  
The two wildcards in tonight's possible tour-de-force will be Councilmembers Johnson and Neal. Many behind the scenes at City Hall have indicated a belief that both Johnson and Neal will vote for Lowenthal, but neither has given any indication publicly how they will vote for Vice-Mayor.
  
If a vote is taken, and the result splits 4-4, then the motion fails and O'Donnell would not be named Vice-Mayor.
  
A failed O'Donnell vote may lead the opposing camp to go ahead and nominate Lowenthal and try for a vote. Chances are if such a situation arises, the vote would stay split--but, you never know with two unknown factors like the new Councilmembers.
  
However it turns out, unless the Council elects to just hold off any vote entirely, its is likely to be a lively night in the center ring.
  
The one thing you can be assured of, though, is that even defeated politicians are usually only defeated momentarily. A defeat will not be the end of public service for either Lowenthal or O'Donnell.
  
It's like former middleweight world champion boxer Alan Minter once said, "Sure there have been injuries and deaths in boxing - but none of them serious."

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