By Jorge Casuso

December 12, 2023 -- Without the intrigue that for decades has accompanied the selection of a mayor, Councilmember Phil Brock on Tuesday became the first Santa Monica native to hold the post in 17 years.

Brock -- who was selected with a 4 to 3 vote a year ago to serve a one-year term as mayor through December 2024 -- was guaranteed the position after the Council adopted a rotating system based on seniority.

As the first Santa Monica native since Bob Holbrook in 2006 to hold the post, Brock brings an unbridled pride and exhaustive knowledge of the city where he was born on Christmas Day in 1953.

"I have walked every street in this city, every ally," Brock told the Lookout on Monday.

He has also volunteered on the board of numerous local non-profits, served on two City commissions and run his talent agency in the city where he has lived his entire life.

Tuesday, he said, was the culmination of a dream he first contemplated at Samohi while serving in student government and meeting several Santa Monica mayors.

"It is special," Brock said. "And it may be forever the pinnacle of my life."

In his acceptance speech, Brock outlined a personal agenda that focused on the public safety platform he ran on in 2020, on revitalizing local businesses and on celebrating the out-sized artistic legacy of the city of some 93,000.

Brock's intense focus on public safety had drawn mixed reactions after he publicized his concerns about crime and had a high-profile run-in with a homeless man on the Promenade that made international news.

"We will make this city safe again, because that is the solemn oath of elected officials in every city," he said Tuesday night. "We are proud to be a progressive city, but we can't be progressive if our residents are in fear."

Brock also addressed the city's persistent homeless problem, repeating a longstanding warning that to successfully address it the State and County have to pitch in.

"We do our best to show compassion for those on the street, but we can't solve the problem by ourselves," he said. "And it's not just us. Every city (in the country) needs help."

Brock also pleaded with Santa Monica residents to "shop local" and help businesses "in every corner of the City to thrive."

And he said the city -- where 41 percent of residents work in the arts -- has plenty to celebrate, including a legacy that includes world famous artists, actors and musicians.

"We are one of the most artistic communities in the world," Brock said. "We have to regain the spirit of Santa Monica so that the citizens of this City applaud each other."