By Jonathan Friedman
Lookout Staff

May 26, 2010 --In a move that is sure to gain some attention outside Santa Monica, the City Council on Tuesday appointed Bobby Shriver as mayor. Shriver is the brother-in-law of Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger and a member of famed Kennedy family.

This is Shriver’s first stint as mayor. Kevin McKeown is now the only member of the council who has never served in the mostly ceremonial position.

Shriver was nominated by Council member Robert Holbrook. Votes for Shriver came from Holbrook, Shriver, McKeown and Terry O’Day. The other three council members supported Pam O’Connor, who as mayor pro tem had assumed the mayoral duties when Mayor Ken Genser went to the hospital in October. She continued in this role after his death in January.

Shriver’s mayoral term will continue through November, when five of the seven council members are up for re-election. At the first council meeting after that election, another vote for mayor will be taken.

Two members of the public spoke prior to the vote. Valerie Griffin, chair of the Wilshire/Montana Neighborhood Coalition, supported Shriver because he is one of the two council members not up for re-election in November.

The late U.S. Sen. Edward Kennedy and his nephew Bobby Shriver, photo by The Lookout staff.

She said any candidate that is also a mayor would have an unfair advantage in the race. Peace activist Jerry Rubin said the council should continue with O’Connor performing mayoral duties as mayor pro tem until November.

The mayor has no more power than any other council member in terms of voting. The person has a slightly higher annual salary ($15,329 versus $12,774), runs the meetings and represent the City at various events, including ribbon-cutting ceremonies.

Shriver, 56, burst onto the Santa Monica political scene in 2004 when he clashed with City leaders over the regulation on hedge heights. He then turned this argument into a campaign for a council seat.

Shriver was the runaway top vote-getter in that election, receiving 23,260 votes, more than 6,500 more than runner-up Richard Bloom. He was re-elected in 2008 in another landslide.