District 3 Councilmember Asam Sheikh is now serving as Torrance mayor pro tem, giving him a larger procedural and leadership role within the newly seated City Council.

The mayor pro tem generally presides over council meetings when the mayor is absent or unable to serve. The position does not create a separate citywide elected office, but it places Sheikh in an important supporting role alongside Mayor Sharon Kalani.

Sheikh was reelected to represent District 3 on June 2 after first joining the City Council in 2022.

His current council responsibilities extend beyond the mayor pro tem designation.

Sheikh serves as chair of the Strategic Plan Committee and as a member of the:

• Employee Relations and Public Safety Committee
• Finance and Governmental Operations Committee
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Those assignments give him a role in reviewing matters that can eventually reach the full City Council, including financial policies, employee issues, public-safety priorities, departmental operations, and longer-term municipal planning.

Council committees commonly study issues in greater detail than is possible during a crowded regular meeting. They may receive staff presentations, consider policy alternatives, hear public comments, and forward recommendations to the entire council.

Sheikh lists homelessness, infrastructure improvement, and retaining existing businesses among his current priorities. His professional background includes financial planning and analysis, while his previous civic service has included leadership positions on the Torrance Planning Commission and the Torrance Unified School District’s bond-oversight committee.

Committee assignments can significantly influence which policies receive detailed review and how recommendations are shaped before public votes.

Residents interested in a particular issue should therefore follow not only full City Council agendas, but also the committee responsible for examining that subject.

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