Santa Monica's police officers and fire fighters on Wednesday announced who they will be supporting in the City Council race this November.
They are:
• Mayor Pro Tem Gleam Davis
• Education advocate Shari Davis
• Councilman Terry O'Day
•Planning Commissioner Ted Winterer
"As Californians enter an era of budget cuts and public safety being compromised, these candidates will prioritize public safety in order to provide the finest police and fire department services for our community," read a statement released by the Santa Monica Police Officers Association and Santa Monica Firefighters, Local 1109.
A committee comprised of police officers and fire fighters interviewed candidates and then made recommendations to the board of both unions, which made the endorsements.
Gleam Davis and O'Day voted in 2010 to reject a proposal to eliminate two police lieutenant positions brought by City Manager Lamont Ewell and former Police Chief Timothy Jackman.
Shari Davis, a co-founder of Community for Excellent Public Schools, in 2010 backed Measure Y, a half-cent sales tax increase to guard against potential budget cuts to public safety and other city services. A companion measure, YY, asked voters if half of the money generated by the tax should go to public schools.
