SANTA MONICA—On December 11, the city of Santa Monica announced that on December 10, during an installation ceremony newly-elected Councilmembers Dan Hall, Ellis Raskin, Barry Snell and Natalya Zernitskaya were sworn in by City Clerk Nikima Newsome to begin four-year terms.
The newly installed Santa Monica City Council selected Lana Negrete to serve as mayor for a one-year term, with Caroline Torosis serving as mayor pro tem for 2025 and Jesse Zwick for 2026. Negrete was appointed to the City Council in 2021 and elected in 2022. Torosis and Zwick were elected in 2022.
Negrete was born and raised in Santa Monica and is the owner of the Santa Monica Music Center and Culver City Music Center. She founded Outreach Through the Arts and is an elected Board member of the National Association of Music Merchants.
“I am overwhelmed with gratitude and a deep sense of responsibility,” said Negrete. “I was born and raised in Santa Monica and as a small business owner, I understand the unique challenges that we face. I’m committed to fostering an environment where businesses can thrive and families can flourish and it is truly an honor to serve as mayor.”
Tuesday’s installation ceremony follows Los Angeles County Registrar-Recorder/County Clerk Dean C. Logan’s certification of the final results for the 2024 General Election on December 3.
The Santa Monica City Council certified the results for the races for Santa Monica-Malibu Unified School District Board, the Santa Monica Rent Control Board and local ballot measures:
-Measure F — updates the city’s business license tax ordinance to improve tax equity and fairness by exempting small businesses from the tax, decreasing tax rates for most retailers and restaurants, raising the corporate headquarters rate, removing auto dealer tax exemptions, and restoring a business license processing fee. The changes are anticipated to generate approximately $3 million annually to fund essential city services such as 911 emergency response, public safety, and addressing homelessness
-Measure K — increases the city’s Parking Facility Tax from 10 percent to 18 percent. The tax applies only to private parking structures and lots and is anticipated to generate about $6.7 million annually to reduce traffic congestion and the risk of traffic fatalities and serious injuries in Santa Monica (see Measure PSK below).
-Measure PSK ― an advisory measure that directs the city to allocate at least half of the revenue from Measure K toward addressing public safety and homelessness.
At Tuesday’s ceremony, Newsome administered the oath of office for elected School Board Members Jennifer Smith, Jon Kean and Maria Leon-Vazquez, along with Rent Control Board Members Kay Ambriz and Phillis Dudick.
Community members, regional elected leaders and council colleagues recognized outgoing Mayor Phil Brock and outgoing Councilmembers Gleam Davis, Oscar de la Torre, and Christine Parra for their contributions. Davis served on the City Council for 15 years, and Brock, de la Torre and Parra each served for 4 years.
“It has been the highlight of my life’s work to serve the residents of Santa Monica as their mayor,” said Brock. “And my work is not done. I will always champion the needs of our community and continue to uphold the beautiful spirit of Santa Monica.”
By Trevor