You Mean It’s Not ’18 Yet?

Ari L. NoonanNews4 Comments

Mr. Tiggs, with one of Culver City’s best known personalities, Jozelle Smith

Like fellow candidate Scott Wyant, Marcus Tiggs, who finished just behind him in last month’s City Council race, is thinking 2018.

Never in recent times have so many non-winners been downright eager to leap into their next campaigns.

Mr. Tiggs has tried twice for office. Frustration, but never surrender, has been the net result each time.

He has been talking to people who know him and his quiet style in a quest to create a formula that will spring him over the pack into the front line.

By the numbers, the ’18 race will be more challenging than last month. Only two seats – term-limited Mayor Jim Clarke’s and Vice Mayor Jeff Cooper’s – will be open.

While it is definite that two seats will be at stake, there is a possibility both Messrs. Clarke and Cooper, instead, will be running for re-election.

A proposal to allow Council members to serve three four-year terms instead of two may go on the November ballot. A decision is not likely to be made before August, Mayor Clarke has indicated.

Mr. Clarke is a wily campaigner. His presence as a re-election contender could change some minds about competing in ’18.

Especially since he only will have served six years on the Council, another story worthy of attention.

At this point, Mr. Tiggs added a shaker of tasty seasoning to the soup that is the ’18 Council race.

After noting that Councilperson Meghan Sahli-Wells, putative leader of Culver City’s progressive movement, succeeded in 50 percent of her mission last month – the election of Thomas Small — “I can assure you Meghan will have two more people who think alike” contending for the two Council seats in ‘18.

(To be continued)

4 Comments on “You Mean It’s Not ’18 Yet?”

  1. Paulette Greenberg

    Why is an extension of term-limits necessary or desirable? Why now? Is there a sudden lack of available talent? Do the local politicos feel that they are losing their grip on power? Does the Chamber of Commerce see the handwriting on the wall and feel that it needs the benefits of incumbency to retain the reins of government? Are Steve Rose and other luminaries of the past itching to return to the scene?

    Who might favor the removal of term-limits? Let’s take a guess: Julius Caesar, Napoleon Bonaparte, Kim Il-sung, Nicolae Ceaușescu, Mobutu Sese Seko, Hafez al-Assad, Suharto, Sukarno, Fidel Castro, Saddam Hussein, Kim Jong-un, François “Papa Doc” Duvalier, Jean-Claude “Baby Doc” Duvalier, Josip Broz Tito, Idi Amin, Omar Kadfi and Ari Noonan.

    “While it is definite that two seats will be at stake, there is a possibility both Messrs. Clarke and Cooper, instead, will be running for re-election. A proposal to allow Council members to serve three four-year terms instead of two may go on the November ballot. A decision is not likely to be made before August, Mayor Clarke has indicated.”

    Let me try to understand this. Will Mayor Clarke and Council Member Jeffrey Cooper be the deciders-in-chief for the uneducated masses in determining whether Messrs. Clark and Cooper will be eligible to run for a third term in 2018? Does anyone else see a conflict of interest here?

  2. Laura Stuart

    Council members Clark and Cooper would not be eligible if the term limits were extended to 3 consecutive terms. That was determined long ago. The article above is incorrect.

  3. Patrick Meighan

    “After noting that Councilperson Meghan Sahli-Wells, putative leader of Culver City’s progressive movement, succeeded in 50 percent of her mission last month – the election of Thomas Small — “I can assure you Meghan will have two more people who think alike” contending for the two Council seats in ‘18.”

    I don’t know about the “think alike” part, but I certainly can envision Daniel Lee running in 2018. And, at this point, I sure wouldn’t bet against him. Would you?

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