In what some have characterized as a break with tradition, Andrew Weissman became mayor of Culver City on Monday night, as the City Council passed over now-former Vice Mayor Gary Silbiger in his bid to take the center chair on the City Hall dais.

The move came as part of the council’s reorganization process, by which it chooses one of its own to become the city’s mayor, a largely ceremonial post that is not subject to a citywide election. Winning the support of outgoing Mayor Scott Malsin and Councilman Mehaul O’Leary, Weissman leapt over Silbiger, himself a former mayor, who many believed was poised to win the top post.

That assumption was based on what some say is an unofficial tradition of promoting vice mayors to the top slot immediately following their service as second-in-command.

But Weissman insisted that “fairness requires that we have an opportunity to serve once before any one of us has the opportunity to serve twice,” referring to Silbiger’s previous term as mayor from 2006 to 2007.

No section in the city charter mandates that the vice mayor must be chosen mayor after his term is up, only a sentence that reads “at the second meeting in April in odd numbered years, the city council shall elect one of its members as its presiding officer, who shall have the title of mayor and one of its members as vice mayor.”

Longtime resident and city historian Julie Lugo-Cera cited the cases of several council members in the 1960s who served consecutive terms as mayor, as well as longtime council members who never had the opportunity to do so. “I think whoever you feel is the best choice for mayor is who you should vote for,” she said.

However, several residents in attendance at Monday’s council meeting spoke out against Weissman’s selection. “Historically, in Culver City, we’ve had this rotation where every year we move up the vice mayor,” said Silbiger’s son, Karlo. The younger Silbiger reminded the council of a 1997 reorganization that resulted in the late Councilman Mike Balkman being passed over for mayor in favor of Albert Vera, a decision he said proved divisive in the community.

In recent years, Silbiger has built a reputation for frequently voting against the council majority, often casting the only dissenting vote on key matters, particularly in the area of development. “Make no mistake, this is a political move,” said Silbiger, who was first elected to the council in 2002. “This has nothing to do with fairness.”

It was a position shared by newly chosen Vice Mayor Christopher Armenta, a frequent Silbiger ally who said handing the mayoralty to Weissman would set “a terrible precedent,” adding that he was “fearful that this is about egos and self-interest.” In an unusual development tied to his disappointment over the mayoral vote, Armenta was selected vice mayor over his own objection, casting the sole dissenting vote in a 4-1 decision naming him to the post.

O’Leary, who was named chairman of the Redevelopment Agency on Monday, said he was unaware of any tradition regarding mayoral selection. He took offense to Armenta’s characterization of the decision. “I am saddened that my colleague is criticizing who I deem to be a nomination that is best suited for this time in Culver City,” he said.

In his first comments as mayor following the traditional rearrangement of seats on the dais, Weissman told his colleagues and the audience that a “very challenging year” lies ahead.

“We’ve got an incredibly difficult budget to address,” said Weissman. “But I know from the experience we’ve demonstrated in the last 12 months this council will work together to make sure our community continues to thrive and continues to enjoy the levels of service that we’ve grown accustomed to receiving.”

As part of the ceremonial changing of the guard, a slideshow of local events from the previous year was presented, with the last slide depicting Malsin with his wife and daughter. Before passing on the mayor’s pin to Weissman, the former mayor briefly reflected on serving in the city’s highest-ranking office.
“It‘s been wonderful to serve as mayor of this great city,” Malsin said. He later added: “What could have been a greater privilege than to serve this community?”