A pretty mountain town with scenic peaks and towering trees has an usual major in the form of an adorable dog called Max.
Idyllwild, which is located in the San Jacinto Mountains around two hours from Los Angeles, has no ski resort, no Starbucks and no stoplights, SFGate reported.
The charming town is increasingly in popularity as Idyllwild provides a nice escape for those seeking tranquillity who enjoy outdoor activities.
However, there is one usual reason why people are flocking to this small American town and that is to pay the mayor a visit, a young golden retriever.
Maximus Mighty-Dog Mueller III, also known as Mayor Max, is the third official mayor of Idyllwild.
Phyllis Mueller, 72, and her husband, Glen Warren, 59, serve as the mayor’s co-chiefs of staff and caretakers.
Since 2012, three generations of golden retrievers have held the mayoral seat in the unincorporated southern California mountain town of Idyllwild and Mayor Max is the latest to be sworn into office.
The first Mayor Max, who was elected on July 1, 2012, was diagnosed with cancer and was sadly put down in April 2013. Maximus Mighty-Dog Mueller II took office as a two-month-old and ended his term at the age of nine, when he too was diagnosed with cancer
To participate in the election, voters are required to be residents of Idyllwild or the nearby towns of Fern Valley, Pine Cove or Mountain Center and pay a dollar.
Max successfully defeated 13 other dogs and two cats with 21,132 votes – while raising over $31,000 (£23,000).
Mayor Max usually makes public appearances in downtown Idyllwild on Thursdays, Fridays, and weekends, while his calendar is filled with private appearances at schools, nursing homes, hospice organisations and businesses year-round.
It’s been a busy year in office for Mayor Max III, who just celebrated his first birthday with a party attended by roughly 1,000 guests.
Thanks to the adorable four legged mayor, the town is seeing greater political interest and event turnout.
Phyllis Mueller said: “The mayor’s out in the public every day and on weekends. We just do kind and loving things for people. But we do it all day long.
“If I were mayor of Idyllwild and I told people that I was going to be downtown at 2pm to meet the people, most people wouldn’t come and they certainly wouldn’t come every day.
“If I publish that Mayor Max is going to be downtown at 2pm, hundreds of people will come because it’s interesting and unusual to see a dog as a mayor,’ she told the Los Angeles Times.
