Brian Bennett was selected Jan.9 as Burien’s new mayor on a 4-2 vote.

Bennett, who previously served as deputy mayor, replaces Joan McGilton, who had been Burien’s mayor since 2004.

Bennett will serve a two-year term.

Councilwoman Lucy Krakowiak, who has often been a lone dissenting voice on the council, gained a council ally with the swearing in of Bob Edgar. Edgar defeated veteran councilman Gordon Shaw in the November election.

Councilman Gerald Robison, who had been appointed to replace Kathy Keene when she retired to Florida, also was elected to his seat in November.

City attorney Craig Knutson swore Edgar, Robison and Krakowiak in Monday night.

Edgar nominated Krakowiak for mayor while Robison nominated Bennett.

Edgar and Krakowiak voted for Krakowiak while Bennett, McGilton, Robison and Rose Clark favored Bennett. Councilman Jack Block was excused from the meeting.

Clark was elected to a one-year term as deputy mayor. McGilton nominated Clark while Edgar, again, nominated Krakowiak. Bennett, McGilton, Robison and Clark voted for Clark. Krakowiak and Edgar voted for Krakowiak.

Bennett's background
Bennett was first elected to the council in November 2009. Previously, he had been on the Burien Planning Commission and was chairman of the Burien Shoreline Advisory Committee.

He is a business and technology attorney for F5 Networks, based in Seattle. Bennett earned a bachelor’s degree in comparative literature from the University of Washington and a jurisdoctorate degree from New York University School of Law.

He lives on Lake Burien. The new mayor was born in Burien and his family goes back four generations in the area.

Clark's background
Clark was first elected to the council in November 1999. She served one term through 2003 but was defeated for re-election. She ran again in 2005, was elected, and then won re-election in November 2009.

Before coming on to the council, Clark served two years on the Burien Planning Commission. She is also a King County Landmarks commissioner and was service area vice president of the Highline Council PTSA.

Clark is a founding member of the Des Moines Memorial Drive Restoration Committee.

She is retired from the Highline School District where she served as a library aide at the Tyee High campus. She lives in the Des Moines Memorial Drive area. Clark has been a Burien resident for more than four decades.

Edgar's background
Newly elected Councilman Edgar is a contractor in corporate education with Boeing.

He has a doctorate in Educational Leadership and a master’s degree in Business Administration in Information Systems from Seattle University.

Edgar has lived in Burien for over 20 years and has been active in helping preserve the Salmon Creek green belt and Seahurst Park.

CARES Animal Control discussed
Council members also heard from former Burien CARES (Community Animal Resource & Education Society) board member Susan Meyers and veterinarian Leslie Kasper, who complained about the level of animal control services provided by the CARES group.

Kasper was the original director of Burien’s animal control services after the city opted out of the King County’s animal control program. After Kasper resigned, the council awarded the contract to the non-profit CARES group led by Discover Burien events manager Debra George.

Mike Snyder was recently let go as the group’s full-time animal control officer by George who hired Ray Helms as Snyder’s replacement.

Meyers complained that Helms is a city employee so has a conflict of interest. City Attorney Knutson said Helms has resigned from the Public Works department.