Westside : New Culver City Mayor Vows ‘Kinder’ Approach to Politics

The confrontational nature of Culver City politics of the past couple of years may be over if the new mayor’s vow to take a “kinder, gentler” approach to governing is any indication.

The Culver City City Council on Monday selected Ed Wolkowitz, a council member for the past two years, as mayor. Wolkowitz inherited the mayor’s seat from Steve Gourley, who did not run for reelection.

Known for his frank and often sharp remarks to council colleagues, Wolkowitz said he would like to see the council become a friendlier governing body.

“I don’t think it’s necessary for government to have an in-your-face attitude,” he said. “What we need to do is to work more congenially.”

Wolkowitz, 47, said that one of his goals is to complete construction of a senior citizen housing complex and recreation center. Culver City is developing about 120 units of senior housing near the city’s downtown area.

Among his other priorities, Wolkowitz said, is to continue lobbying state and federal legislators about the inequity of unfunded mandates that take huge bites out of the budgets of local governments. Wolkowitz said that although he fully supports the federal Americans With Disabilities Act, Culver City has spent millions of dollars redesigning city buildings to fit new standards established by the law.