After its 2018 debacle dealing with mayoral rotation, the City Council will consider at next Monday night’s meeting a new proposal to change “council policy” regarding the selection of Mayor and Vice Mayor.

In what is commonly called as the “Gary Silbiger retribution act,” the Council two years ago passed over Goran Eriksson to be mayor for the first time in order to install Meghan Sahli-Wells as mayor for the second time. Silbiger, who had served one year as mayor, was passed over for a second chance at mayor by his fellow councilmembers. The inherent problem is that councilmembers are elected to a maximum of 2 four-year terms. Since is the council is composed of 5 people, that means 2 councilmembers will only server as mayor twice.

It was undoubtedly the worst kept secret in the history of the city. It was so egregious that the city attorney, Carol Schwab, was not permitted to issue her own opinion regarding a Brown Act violation but instead issued the follow statement: “I have been instructed by the City Council to say there was no violation of the Brown Act.” The city attorney should have been permitted to issue her own opinion.

The new “council policy” proposal reads as follows: “A Council Member who has held the office of Mayor or Vice Mayor for one year shall not be eligible for reelection to that same office until one year has elapsed.”

They miss the point. The wording should also include: “No member of the Council shall serve a second term as Mayor until all sitting councilmembers have had the opportunity to serve as Mayor once.”

The mayor’s position is largely ceremonial. The Culver City Observer believes the ultimate solution will be the direct election of the mayor to a 2-year term and dividing the council seats into councilmanic districts. Currently, 3 councilmembers are from the eastside of the city, one from the Carlson Pak area and one from the Tellefson Park area. It should be noted that he Fox Hills area has never had a representative on the council, although it has produced quality candidates in the past.