Idyllwild is part of a swath of unincorporated territory in the San Jacinto Mountains in Riverside County, California. And it’s famous for its breathtaking rock formations as well as it’s “mayor.”
With a population of under 4,000 people, it seems no one minds that city hall has gone to the dogs.
Then again, they’re the ones who elected him.
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Mayor Max is a Golden Retriever. In fact, he’s the second Golden Retriever to be mayor of Idyllwild. (Granted, as an unincorporated town, there is no election for a human mayor.)
His full name is Maximus Mighty-Dog Mueller II and he runs as an Independent.
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According to his Facebook page, the original Mayor Max was voted into office for a 1-year term in July of 2012. The “election” was held by the non-for-profit Idyllwild Animal Rescue Friends (ARF) and was open to cats as well.
For $1, citizens could cast their votes. We’re not sure of the democratic underpinnings of the election, but somehow they managed to raise $31,000 during that election.
You know what they say – vote early and vote often.
Of the 14 dogs and 2 cats nominated, the original Max’s platform was to “convey unconditional love and do as many good deeds for others as possible.”
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And yet somehow, in this day and age, he still won.
Not only did he win, but when Mayor Max I passed away during his one-year term extension in April of 2013, Maximus Mighty-Dog Mueller II was approved as his replacement by ARF.
He won the next election by a landslide.
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Apparently not wanting to fuss with democracy, the residents asked that Mayor Max II continue in his role for life.
He also has two deputy mayors to help him with his duties. But don’t worry – they aren’t human either.
Mikey and Mitzi (Mikey Mighty-Dog Mueller and Mitzi Marie Mueller) and Max II are often referred to as “the Mayors of Idyllwild.”
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Mayor Max’s humans told Travel & Leisure that following the death of his predecessor, they searched throughout the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom to find a dog that looked exactly like Max.
Max II, Mitzi, and Mikey fit the bill and are of the same bloodline.
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Phyllis Mueller, the dogs’ human Chief-of-Staff, recalled finding the perfect candidate.
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“When we met Max [II] in his infancy, he looked right at the camera, crossed his arms and did a pose,” she said. “That’s how he let us know, we said, there it is, that’s the sign, that is the mayor.’”
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Max does a pretty good job of keeping in touch with town members through his social media pages.
For example, they’ll know pretty quickly if the chief-of-staff has spotted a mountain lion in the yard (that seems important) or if he decided to sleep in until 10:30 (also good to know).
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According to the “mayor’s” personal website, his job description includes duties such as: “promote this mountain community on and off the Hill,” “support commissioners in their projects,” “strive to be present at community events such as outdoor concerts, festivals, fairs, and the July 4 parade,” attend “mixers,” and “speak out on behalf of the animals of this mountain, domesticated and non-domesticated.”
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We’d like to know what the cat constituents think!
Be sure to scroll down below to get a look at Idyllwild’s “Golden” boy.
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