A standing-room-only crowd said goodbye tonight to two of West Hollywood’s longest-serving City Council members and welcomed two new ones in the biggest change in local government since the city was founded 30 years ago.
Leaving the Council were Abbe Land, a 22-year member, who decided last year that she would not seek re-election in the March 3 election, and John Heilman, a 30-year member, who was defeated in that election. Heilman is a candidate in the June 2 special election to fill the Council seat formerly held by L.A. County Assessor Jeffrey Prang.
Joining the Council were Lindsey Horvath, who was elected mayor tonight, and Lauren Meister, who was elected mayor pro tem. John D’Amico, elected to the Council in 2011 and re-elected on March 3, also was re-installed as a Council member.
In speeches to the Council audience, newcomers Lauren Meister and Lindsey Horvath and re-elected incumbent John D’Amico mentioned several items that are on their agendas.
All three said they would push for ethics reform. Horvath said she was working with Joe Guardarrama, a lawyer whose practice focuses on campaign finance and ethics issues, to draft an ethics reform proposal that she will present to the Council on April 20. Meister said she will push for the city to consider reforms and study practices in other cities such as San Francisco. D’Amico said he will call for creation of an independent ethics commission for West Hollywood. D’Amico said he wants to consider restrictions on donations by Council members to charities with which they are affiliated and on whom candidates can take money from.
Meister said she also will push for rolling back parking meter enforcement hours and reducing fines levied for violation of parking ordinances.
Goodbye speeches by Council members Abbe Land and John Heilman drew standing ovations from the audience and praise from the Council members John Duran and John D’Amico and newcomers Horvath and Meister.
“We would not have what we have today if they had not placed the basic building blocks in place,” Duran said of Heilman and Land.
Campaign promises
Campaign promises
Campaign promises
newbies, you have 3 council meetings to prove no lies
otherwise we know you’re full of em
prove your competency
the campaigns over
Folks, can you imagine Candiate Shink’s swearing in come June? This is just for fun, total parody. “I, HEIDI SHINK, do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States and the Constitution of the State of California against all enemies, foreign and domestic; that I will bear true faith and allegiance to MAYOR JOHN D’AMICO; that I take this obligation AS QUID PRO QUO, WITH MANY DECISIONS THAT SHALL COME BEFORE ME PREDETERMINED OR PURPOSEFULLY VAGUE; and that I will well and faithfully discharge the CITY MANAGER upon MY ELECTION AND VIOLATE… Read more »
Abbe… thanks for your service. JH… good riddance.
Sinister plan? To legally run for office? What kind of conspiracy is that? There is no violation of term limits law here. If you don’t want Heilman back in office, support your favorite other candidate, and work hard to get the word out. Those complaining about Heilman legally running in the June election are the ones that sound like sore losers to me. And I’m not even saying I want him re-elected.
Don’t let he door not you on the way out. Oh wait, you’re not going anywhere are you – you sore loser. Or was it his sinister plan all along to skirt term limits.
It was a really great night for the City of West Hollywood. Heilman and Land both got standing ovations for their service. All of us stood tall as one community celebrating our history and accomplishments. Seems like we are moving forward ..(at least until June))