Appointment comes after political conflict
Richard Bloom is the new mayor of Santa Monica.
After weeks of behind-the-scenes political tug of war, the Santa Monica City Council voted 6-0 on Tuesday to have Bloom serve two years as mayor. Councilman Herb Katz abstained from voting.
Bloom, 49, replaces former Mayor Mike Feinstein, who served his standard two-year term. In Santa Monica, the position of mayor is decided by the council and is held for two years.
The role of mayor is mostly symbolic because the position holds equal power to council members. The mayor runs council meetings, helps set the agenda and represents the city at functions. However, the job can be time consuming.
Bloom thanked his family who was watching the ceremonial proceedings from cable television at home. Bloom said he had talked to his wife and children about taking on the demanding role if he was nominated.
“I’m committed to making it work for both the city and my family,” he said.
Bloom also thanked his colleagues for the opportunity.
“This is a position of great responsibility and I hope I can serve in the fashion many of you have,” he said. “You all have been my role models.”
“This is a position of great responsibility and I hope I can serve in the fashion many of (my colleagues) have.” — — RICHARD BLOOM Santa Monica’s new mayor
Bloom and Mayor Pro Tem Kevin McKeown both lobbied their colleagues on the council to be selected as mayor, despite public denials from council members, sources said.
At one point a compromise was offered that each would serve one year as mayor, but it was privately rejected in recent days.
It was officially proposed by Councilman Ken Genser on Tuesday night that Bloom serve one year as mayor and then become mayor pro tem with McKeown becoming mayor the next year. No one seconded the motion and it died on the floor.
“I’m deeply grateful for Ken’s motion to split the term. We heard from the public the hope we’d proceed in a spirit of compromise. Ken’s suggestion would have been a gracious way of doing that,” McKeown said.
Councilwoman Pam O’Connor, the top vote-getter in the November elections, nominated Bloom as mayor.
Feinstein nominated McKeown as mayor pro tem — a position he has held for the past year. The motion passed 5-0, with Katz and Councilman Bob Holbrook abstaining.
“As mayor pro tem again I’m glad to have saved taxpayers the cost of printing me new business cards,” McKeown joked.
O’Connor already has served as mayor. The council traditionally gives new members a chance at being mayor — as long as they are in the political majority.
In recent weeks, the five council members aligned with Santa Monicans for Renters Rights — a liberal organization that has dominated local politics — were having difficulty agreeing on whether Bloom or McKeown should be mayor.
Katz and Holbrook, who are opponents of SMRR, were divided between the two members.
It was rumored SMRR leaders were against picking McKeown, a Green Party member, as mayor because they blame Green Party candidate Josefina Santiago Aranda for the defeat of their candidate Abby Arnold in the November elections. However, SMRR leaders have dismissed that claim.
Bloom, a member of SMRR and a local attorney, ran for city council twice before winning a special election in 1999 and a full four-year term in 2000, when he was selected to serve one year as mayor pro tem — McKeown served the other year.
Katz, who nominated O’Connor to be mayor, said he abstained from voting for Bloom because he thinks someone else could do a better job of bringing consensus to the council.
It is unknown why Katz and Holbrook abstained from voting for McKeown as mayor pro tem.
The appointment of the mayor and the swearing in of officials who were elected into office in the November election are done in a ceremonial proceeding, which was Tuesday evening. After the appointments, the council members all congratulated each other and hugged on the dais in front of a standing-room only crowd.
O’Connor said she found a greater appreciation for the Los Angeles Lakers after working on the dais in the past two years with Feinstein, who is an avid fan.
Although the meeting is normally ceremonial, council members had a full agenda awaiting them. Bloom switched chairs with Feinstein and followed a script to run the meeting.
Feinstein and McKeown exchanged gifts, but neither opened them. Feinstein said it would be more appropriate if McKeown opened his gift at home.
Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on December 11, 2002. Read the original PDF.