SANTA MONICA—Santa Monica City Councilmember Pam O’Connor was ordered back to a disposition after walking out during questioning for a lawsuit alleging that the city of Santa Monica violates the California Voting Rights Act by underrepresenting Hispanics.
In a text message to the Santa Monica Lookout, O’Connor indicated she was acting on the city’s advice, and left once questioning began about the controversial firing of communication’s director Elizabeth Riel, of which O’Connor was revealed to have influenced.
O’Connor said the questions were inappropriate, but attorney Kevin Shenkman said it was necessary to prove that at-large elections “breed corruption,” the Santa Monica Lookout stated. Councilmember Pam O’Connor has championed policies and partnerships that enhance community livability and wellbeing on the Santa Monica City Council since 1994 and her current term will expire on November 2018. She has served as mayor for the city of Santa Monica five times.
Pam O’Connor is a member of the Regional Council of the Southern California Association of Governments (SCAG), the nation’s largest metropolitan planning organization. She serves on SCAGs Executive Committee and is Chair of SCAG’s Legislative and Communications Committee. As SCAG’s President in 2012 she led the 84-member Regional Council in the unanimous adoption of the region’s first Sustainable Communities Strategy. She represents SCAG on California’s Road Charge Technical Advisory Committee.
According to the city of Santa Monica website, O’Connor holds Masters’ degrees in Planning and in Technology Management from Eastern Michigan University and a B.S. in Communications from Southern Illinois University. She views community wellbeing as the natural next step in the evolution of local government, as well as a way to advance the connection between mobility and sustainability issues by looking at their impact through the lens of human flourishing.
In April 2016, the Pico Neighborhood Association and the Advocates for Malibu Public Schools filed a lawsuit in Los Angeles Superior Court, stating that the at-large election system intentionally hindered members of the community from joining the Santa Monica City Council.
Activist Oscar de la Torre lost during the November 2016 election for a seat on the city council and advocated for district-based elections.
For over 70 years, Santa Monica has had an at-large election system. Advocates state that according to the California Voting Rights Act, these kinds of elections can be prohibited if they are found to be racially polarizing, the Santa Monica Daily Press reported.
Attorneys for the city of Santa Monica have argued that the current system allows the council to focus on city-wide issues and makes it so that the council members give their attention to all neighborhoods in Santa Monica. Currently, two Hispanics, Antonio Vazquez and Gleam Davis, serve on the city council.
Written by Vanessa Arrendondo and Donald Roberts
