Mayor Pro Tem Lou La Monte is set to succeed Laura Rosenthal as mayor of Malibu at the Aug. 27 regular meeting of the Malibu City Council. A Big Rock resident since 1992, La Monte was elected to the City Council in 2010, coming in second to Rosenthal.
After his election, La Monte said his first goal would be to get the California Highway Patrol back to Pacific Coast Highway “to make this a safe place again.” During his term on the council, he has taken an active role on education issues, teaming with Rosenthal in recent months on an ad-hoc committee to explore the possibility of Malibu breaking from Santa Monica to form its own school district.
The Malibu City Council has a rotating mayoral seat amongst its five members, who each serve a roughly nine-and-a-half month term as in the position during their tenures on the council. The mayor typically represents the city at ribbon-cutting ceremonies and in public statements, and moderates discussions at City Council meetings.