D'Amico's Swearing In Signals New Era for Weho

A new era officially began in West Hollywood politics Monday night as the newly elected took the oath of office to join the City Council. Re-elected incumbents and joined D’Amico on the platform in in taking that oath to serve the city for four years.

Residents in the auditorium and at home watching on TV witnessed a peaceful transition, a symbolic passing of the baton from outgoing Councilwoman  to D’Amico. It was a City Council meeting filled with joy, laughter, thunderous applause and positive outlook for the future, and about opposing sides coming together for a new start.

In his opening remarks, D’Amico referenced the official arrival of spring also falling on Monday, saying, “It is a happy coincidence to be sure, because this is a new spring coming to West Hollywood.”

D’Amico, who campaigned on a platform of bringing a fresh voice and new ideas to the council, went on to recite passages from the Walt Whitman poem “Song of the Broad-Axe,” which says that great cities are great not because of their buildings or the merchandise stores carry or the amount of money they have, but because of the great people who make up the city. 

“Walt Whitman, in 1856, must have been describing the future West Hollywood,” D’Amico said, “because ours is a great city ready for this new spring full of the greatest of men and the greatest of women.”

The among the nine candidates running for the three council seats up for election March 8, D’Amico thanked his fellow challengers in the council race for helping to prove “that our city is ready for a new direction, a new spring, a new future. I wouldn’t be here without your help and we must keep the momentum moving forward.”

The 48-year-old D’Amico further acknowledged the bitter election campaign in which Heilman, Land and Horvath ran as a slate. “Now, I know this didn’t turn out the way you expected," he told Heilman and Land, "but I’m here. We’re all here. Here we are. There’s a new future ahead of us.”

In her parting comments, Horvath, who finished fifth in the election, welcomed D’Amico, saying that she had no doubt that “the third John" will rise to the occasion. "I wish him all the best in doing so,” she said.

The 27-year-old was appointed to the City Council in May 2009 after the death of longtime Councilman Sal Guarriello. The move angered many residents who believed a special election should have been held instead. Horvath thanked her supporters and colleagues and noted the unusual circumstances surrounding her joining the council. 

“I was probably the most surprised person in this very room when my colleagues asked me to serve alongside them. The confidence they have in me to share this responsibility with them is a gift for which I cannot thank each of them enough," she said. “I am a better person today because of this honor and privilege to be of service to my community." 

Horvath also made reference to one of the controversies of the election season, when her campaign manager, Dante Atkins, was accused of texting answers to her during a Feb. 16 candidate debate. In her conclusion, she said, “These words are my own, they were not texted to me. I wrote them myself,” a remark that received a huge round of laughter from the audience. 

During public comment time, several residents thanked Horvath for her service and dedication, one even calling Horvath her “shero.”

Councilman John Duran, who publicly supported D’Amico, acknowledged that the election campaign saw its share of mudslinging.

“Elections were never meant to be easy,” Duran said. “Democracy is messy. It is tumultuous. It is the closest thing to a war. It is a battle between ideas. That is the basis of democracy. It is not orderly. It is not confined. It is what we all experience. The challenge is the day after the election—how to come back together.”

In her comments, Land thanked Horvath for the privilege of serving beside her and welcomed D’Amico.

“During elections, a lot of things get said. We take a lot of different positions," she said. "But the thing that I know the most about the city of West Hollywood is we all care about this community. We might have different visions, different thoughts on what that means, but I think we all share the same values . . . So I welcome John here and know that we have a lot of work ahead of us because there’s still a lot to do.”

In welcoming D’Amico, Heilman said, “I think I can speak for the entire council when I say, "Welcome aboard, John. We look forward to working with you.’” 

D’Amico’s partner of 19 years, Keith Rand, "that sweetheart right there in the front" as D'Amico called him, sat in the first row throughout the meeting, glowing proudly as his husband took the oath and beaming as he made his opening remarks.

Later, Rand told Weho Patch: “After 19 years, he still surprises me. I had no idea he was going to quote that Walt Whitman poem. It was such an amazing poem, the perfect way to start his new tenure on the council.”

When the City Council meeting adjourned at 8:30 p.m. (one of the shortest council meetings on record), D’Amico and his supporters went to Chin Chin on the Sunset Strip for a celebration. D’Amico and Rand are scheduled to leave for an eight-day vacation in Hawaii on Tuesday to relax after the long campaign.

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