Politics & Government

Abbe Land Sworn-In as Weho Mayor

Land, who was served on the board for more than 20 years, began her fifth term as Mayor on Monday.

Councilwoman Abbe Land was sworn in as the Mayor of West Hollywood's City Council during Monday's bi-monthly meeting of the board. It is her fifth time serving in the role.

County Supervisor Zev Yaroslavsky was there to swear-in Land. He stressed the importance of Land's duty to uphold the Constitution for all resident, especially those who are marginalized.

"It's a solemn oath and it means that sometimes you need to stand against the tide. [The Constitution] wasn't written to protect the majority, it was written to protect those who are not in the majority; the majority they felt could take care of themselves," Yaroslavsky said. "It was those who were being rolled over they felt needed the protection of people like Abbe."

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City council members choose among themselves who will serve as mayor, whose primary responsibility it is to run council meetings.

Land takes over the post from Councilman Jeff Prang. She has served as mayor four times since first being elected in 1986. She is the executive director and CEO of the Trevor Project, a national organization that provides "crisis intervention and suicide prevention services to lesbian, gay,
bisexual, transgender, and questioning youth."

Find out what's happening in West Hollywoodwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Councilman John D'Amico, who was elected in 2011, was chosen to serve as Mayor Pro-Tem.

During his swearing-in, he joked that he had far less experience than Land in ceremonial proceedings.

"We haven't had four Practices like abbe, so we'll say it slowly," D'Amico quipped to Assistant City Clerk Yvonne Quarker.


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