Groups Seeking Term Limits Circulate Petition Among Santa Monica Voters

Santa Monicans for City Council Term Limits has begun actively circulating a petition to put a charter amendment before voters that would limit city councilmembers to three 4 year terms.

"Since this is a charter amendment, we need 15% of the voters in Santa Monica to sign the petition. That's a very high bar, and it's a short deadline," says Nancy Coleman.

She added that her petition had been well received by voters she met in front of the Post Office on the 1200 block of Wilshire.

"Those people on the City Council are there for a long time," she said, noting that Herb Katz, Ken Genser and Christine Reed both died on the City Council.

(The latter 2 had their colleagues name parks after them. Ken Genser Square is in front of City Hall, and what was once called Lincoln Park, is now Christine Emerson Reed Park by Council proclamation).

"Bob Holbrook is undergoing chemo therapy, I understand" Coleman noted about another longtime city council member.

My first article (4/2/18) about the initiative erroneously said that each member of the City Council had served for 20 years. Local resident Zina Josephs responded:

"I'm in favor of term limits, but I wish you would get your facts straight.

How long have our current Council members been in office?

Pam O'Connor – 24 years – elected in 1994, 1998, 2002, 2006, 2010, and 2014

Kevin McKeown – 20 years – elected in 1998, 2002, 2006, 2010, and 2014

Tony Vazquez – 10 years – elected in 1990-94, 2012, and 2016

Gleam Davis – 9 years -- appointed in February 2009 when Herb Katz died; re-elected in 2010, 2012, and 2016

Terry O'Day – 8 years -- appointed in February 2010 when Ken Genser died; re-elected in November 2010, 2012, and 2016

Mayor Ted Winterer – 6 years – elected in 2012 and 2016

Sue Himmelrich – 4 years – elected in 2014"