Santa Monica politics upended by pandemic, George Floyd protests and economic woes [Los Angeles Times]
Many of the forces that have shaken America in 2020 the pandemic, a sharp economic downturn, rising inequities and the protests fueled by the killing of George Floyd are also upending politics in Santa Monica.
In the last year, the famously liberal city, sometimes seen as a bellwether in local government, has dealt with a series of dramas culminating in a profound shift in power that will likely reshape Santa Monica for years to come.
First the city manager, then the police chief, departed amid withering criticism and a yawning budget deficit. The City Council elections attracted a slate of newcomers with a platform of slowing development in the wealthy oceanside community.
Many of the forces that have shaken America in 2020 the pandemic, a sharp economic downturn, rising inequities and the protests fueled by the killing of George Floyd are also upending politics in Santa Monica.
In the last year, the famously liberal city, sometimes seen as a bellwether in local government, has dealt with a series of dramas culminating in a profound shift in power that will likely reshape Santa Monica for years to come.
For the record:
2:56 PM, Dec. 21, 2020This article incorrectly states that Oscar de la Torre resigned from the Santa Monica-Malibu Board of Education after being elected to the Santa Monica City Council. De la Torre has not resigned from the school board, although school district officials believe the two offices are incompatible and have advertised the board vacancy.
OFF TO A BAD START
Dec. 16, 2020 at 5:00 am
To start judging our new City Council. Give them some time. Give them a break!
Yeah, that’s what I heard about Trump, from people who were ignoring or glossing over what he had done and shown himself to be his entire life. Now because of the terrible damage he did in four years, the planet has a lot less time than before. So does our city, in this time of a pandemic and economic collapse.
This, of course, is not one person, it’s a dynamic of seven individuals on City Council. But we also know them, from their years of leadership.
Sue Himmelrich selected to serve two year term as Mayor
Dec. 10, 2020 at 6:00 am
Councilmember Sue Himmelrich was selected by a 5 – 2 vote margin to serve as Mayor for two years in a Dec. 8 City Council meeting, breaking with the previous precedent of year long terms.
The Council went through four rounds of voting to arrive at a majority, during which Himmelrich declined a one year nomination four times. Himmelrich told the Daily Press she would only accept a two year term as she believes the job requires continuity in leadership and because she needs a longer term to justify cutting back from her important work at the Western Center on Law and Poverty.