Les Storrs Santa Monica Portrait of a City Yesterday and Today, Santa Monica Bank: Santa Monica, CA, 1974, 67 pp., 1946
"Louis J. Burke, an expert in municipal law and now a California Supreme Court Justiice [1974]. [drafted the charter] with the assistance of Royal M. Sorenson, U.S. Navy in 1946.
The new charter was approved by the voters in 1946.
" . . . [It] calls for a Council of seven members, each elected at-large, each to receive only a nominal sum to cover out-of-pocket job-related expenses.
"The Council, under the charter, employs the city manager, the city clerk, and the city attorney.
"All other department heads are appointed by the city manager, they in turn choose their subordinates.
"All city employees, with the exception of the city manager and his personal office staff, and the city attorney and his staff, are appointed subject to the merit system . . . known as civil service.
"Applicants must take competitive examinations, as a result of which eligible lists are made up, and appointment may be made only from among the three individuals at the top of the list, unless . . . one or more of the three chooses not to accept a job offer.
"The Board of Education, also consisting of seven members, is totally autonomous, except that the charter obliges the city administration to conduct School Board elections.
"Council elections are held every two years, with four positions on the ballot at one time, three the next, thus insuring against a complete change of personnel every four years, that being the duration of terms of office.
"Following each election, the council elects one of its number as mayor, another as mayor pro-tem. The mayor has no authority beyond that of his colleagues, except that he acts as chairman and also represents the city on social and ceremonial occasions."