Lana Negrete selected as mayor pro tempore
By Sam Catanzaro
A newly-installed Santa Monica City Council has selected Gleam Davis and Phil Brock to each serve a one-year term as Mayor.
At Tuesday’s meeting, City Council selected Davis to serve a one-year term as Santa Monica’s mayor with Brock serving a one-year term for the second year of the two-year mayoral term. Lana Negrete was selected as mayor pro tempore for two years.
Davis has served on the Council since 2009 when she was appointed to fill the seat left vacant by the passing of Herb Katz and was elected to an additional two-year term in 2010. She was re-elected in 2012, 2016, and 2020 and has served as Mayor in 2019.
“I’m elated to have the opportunity to serve Santa Monica once again as mayor. As the most tenured member of the Council, I hope to use my experience to lead us through the transformative process of rebuilding our organization and bringing the community together,” said Mayor Gleam Davis. “There’s a lot to do to advance our priorities around homelessness, a safe and clean community, and an equitable economic recovery. I’m ready to get to work with my colleagues who love Santa Monica as much as I do.”
Brock, serving his first term as a Councilmember after being elected in 2020, will become Mayor for the 2023-2024 term.
“I love Santa Monica and I am honored to participate in leadership to this council in any way, shape or form that is requested of me. I will support Mayor Davis and Mayor Pro Tem Negrete with all my heart and I hope that all of you will as well,” Brock said at the meeting.
Negrete joined the Council in 2021 when she was selected to fill the seat left vacant by Kevin McKeown. She was elected to a four-year term in this election.
Also at the meeting, City Clerk Denise Anderson-Warren swore in Councilmembers Caroline Torosis and Jesse Zwick, elected to four-year terms, and returning Councilmember Negrete, also elected to a four-year term.
The selection of the mayor featured multiple rounds of voting. The process began with Councilmember Christine Parra putting forth a motion to have Brock and Oscar de la Torre each serve a term. Parra, de la Torre and Brock were elected together in 2020 as part of the anti-establishment Change slate. Parra’s motion, however, never reached the floor as three substitute motions were put forward.
Torosis put forth the first substitute motion called for Davis and Parra each to serve a term each with the other serving as Mayor Pro Tem. The motion was defeated with a 4-3 vote with Brock, Parra and de la Torre voting against it.
Torosis then motioned to have Davis and Parra each serve a term as Mayor and Brock serve two years as Mayor Pro Tem, but this also failed along the same voting lines.
In the third round of voting, Torosis proposed the eventual winning combination of Davis and Brock splitting the two terms and Negrete serving as Mayor Pro Tem. Davis, Negrete, Torosis and Zwick voted for this motion, while Brock, de la Torre and Parra voted against it.
Prior to the selection of Davis as Mayor, Council honored Mayor Sue Himmelrich and Mayor Pro Tem Kristin McCowan at their final meeting serving on the Council. Neither member ran for re-election.
