Outgoing Mayor Clarke Backs Direct Election of Mayor Cooper Elected Mayor, Small Vice-Mayor

Outgoing Mayor Jim Clarke said in his final remarks before returning to his seat on the city council, “I loved being Mayor.” He also stressed that his top priorities for the past year have been, civic engagement and making Culver City the “City of Kindness.”"My one regret is that one year as Mayor is not long enough to accomplish all of the major tasks I want to achieve. About the time you get the hang of the job the job is over.”Clarke made the point that Culver City should look to the direct election of the mayor as many other cities have done. The Culver City Observer has backed the direct election of the mayor for several years believing it would give the city greater clout in Sacramento and Washington D.C. Newly appointed City Clerk Jeremy Green guided the city leaders through the election of the new leaders.

Vice Mayor Jeff Cooper was elected Mayor and Thomas Small was elected Vice Mayor unanimously. Cooper thanked outgoing Mayor Jim Clarke for the way he represented the city and all he had accomplished. Mayor Cooper shared some of the challenges and priorities weighing most on his mind, such as revamping the City's General Plan, overflights from nearby LAX airport and the findings of the Marijuana Task Force. He closed his comments by thanking his fellow Council Members for their commitment to serving the City. "Whether we are agreeing or disagreeing, we always treat each other with respect. Everyone here has passion, but no one has an agenda. The City Council’s only agenda is to do the best for the City of Culver City," said Mayor Cooper. "Former Mayor Clarke has done tremendous work in helping Culver City become a 'City of Kindness,' and that starts here on the dais." Vice Mayor Thomas Small commented in his remarks that, “"Jim Clarke, Jeff Cooper and Meghan Sahli-Wells are tough acts to follow; the bar has been set very high, This past year has been a tremendous learning experience for me. I personally want to thank Jim for the guidance and the example he has been for me. I am looking forward to a great year."