Expand the L.A. City Council? A citizens commission will explore that and other ideas
6 months ago

Expand the L.A. City Council? A citizens commission will explore that and other ideas

LA Times  

Los Angeles City Council President Paul Krekorian, pictured in 2022, originally wanted expansion of the council to go before voters this year. The Los Angeles City Council voted Tuesday to create a new citizen’s commission to look at expanding the size of the council, reducing the number of council meetings and other potential changes to city operations. Krekorian said the new charter reform commission will also look at other issues, including the city’s handling of real estate development, the process of filling vacant council seats and the procedure for censuring or suspending elected officials who have engaged in wrongdoing. Michael Feinstein, speaking on behalf of the Los Angeles County Green Party, called on the council to ensure the commission also looks at major changes to city elections, including a move to “ranked-choice” voting, which allows voters to rank candidates in order of preference instead of choosing just one.

City Council Commission Ballot Members City Council Charter Krekorian Elected Officials  explore  citizens  number  voters  ballot  commission  los  city  angeles  ideas  la  charter  council  expand  members

History of this topic

Editorial: This election showed L.A. voters are fed up with City Hall corruption and scandal
1 month, 1 week ago

Editorial: This election showed L.A. voters are fed up with City Hall corruption and scandal

LA Times  

Los Angeles City Councilmember Kevin de León speaks to supporters as election results are seen on a screen behind him last week. Two years after the leaked audio scandal rocked Los Angeles City Hall, voters finally had their say in this election. Voters overwhelmingly backed charter changes designed to curb elected officials’ political power by creating an independent redistricting commission …

Does the L.A. City Council have too many meetings? Some members want big changes
6 months, 2 weeks ago

Does the L.A. City Council have too many meetings? Some members want big changes

LA Times  

Good morning, and welcome to L.A. on the Record — our City Hall newsletter. “And most of the time, not even everybody’s sitting here listening to the public comment.” The charter, which serves as the governing document for the city, requires that council meetings be held on at least three days each week. “I’ve been trying for 16 months to …

L.A. panel backs redistricting reform but delays action on council expansion
1 year, 2 months ago

L.A. panel backs redistricting reform but delays action on council expansion

LA Times  

The Los Angeles City Council’s committee on reform, headed by Council President Paul Krekorian, moved ahead with a ballot proposal for independent redistricting but delayed discussion on efforts to increase the council’s size. The push to reform Los Angeles City Hall took a leap forward Thursday, with a council committee endorsing a detailed plan to establish an independent redistricting commission …

If L.A. adds City Council seats, how would it work? These charts show the possibilities
1 year, 2 months ago

If L.A. adds City Council seats, how would it work? These charts show the possibilities

LA Times  

How many council members should represent Los Angeles? Beset by scandal — four criminal cases and the leak of an embarrassing secret audiotape in just four years — the Los Angeles City Council could take an important step toward transforming itself this week. “Not only for the city council but also for voters.” Nearly a century has passed since L.A. …

The L.A. City Council is looking to expand. Getting there could take nine years
1 year, 3 months ago

The L.A. City Council is looking to expand. Getting there could take nine years

LA Times  

Los Angeles City Councilmember Nithya Raman, who is pushing for an expansion of the council, is leaning in favor of carrying out that change in 2032. If, on the other hand, council expansion were delayed until 2032, 10 of the council’s current members would retain the ability to run for reelection in their existing districts two more times. Los Angeles …

Group recommends reforms for scandal-plagued Los Angeles city council
1 year, 6 months ago

Group recommends reforms for scandal-plagued Los Angeles city council

Associated Press  

LOS ANGELES — Los Angeles should add 10 more city council members, create two independent redistricting commissions and establish a more powerful ethics commission, a panel of academics exploring reforms for the scandal-plagued city government said Thursday. “There’s a lot at stake in redistricting in LA because the districts are so large, and the council positions are so significant, and …

Independent reform group recommends expanding L.A. City Council to 25 members
1 year, 6 months ago

Independent reform group recommends expanding L.A. City Council to 25 members

LA Times  

Los Angeles City Hall is currently home to 15 council members. The group started convening after a leaked audio recording upended City Hall last fall, exposing Los Angeles City Council members and a powerful labor leader scheming to consolidate power during the city’s decennial redistricting process. The City Council is widely expected to put a government reform proposal on the …

Sacramento likely can’t force L.A. City Council reform. It’s trying anyway
2 years ago

Sacramento likely can’t force L.A. City Council reform. It’s trying anyway

LA Times  

A proposed state law could force Los Angeles to establish an independent redistricting commission, curtailing the City Council’s influence in how the boundaries are written. In response to the city’s audio leak scandal, a proposed state law could force Los Angeles to establish an independent redistricting commission, curtailing the City Council’s influence over the lines that delineate their districts. “Nationally, …

Editorial: Los Angeles must take politics out of development decisions
2 years, 1 month ago

Editorial: Los Angeles must take politics out of development decisions

LA Times  

In the federal criminal complaint filed in 2020 against then-City Councilmember Jose Huizar for allegedly shaking down real estate developers for $1.5 million in cash, lavish gifts and campaign contributions, an FBI agent laid out how Los Angeles’ convoluted and highly political approval process enabled Huizar’s scheme. This means creating clear and modern land-use rules for every neighborhood in the …

How all 15 L.A. City Council members have responded to the racist leaked audio
2 years, 2 months ago

How all 15 L.A. City Council members have responded to the racist leaked audio

LA Times  

The Los Angeles City Council is in crisis. Secretly recorded audio revealed three council members — Nury Martinez, Kevin de León and Gil Cedillo, along with a local labor leader who has now resigned — engaged in a racist conversation and the kind of slimy backroom politicking that we usually see only in the movies. To start at the beginning, …

LA Council faces uncertainty amid furor over racist remarks
2 years, 2 months ago

LA Council faces uncertainty amid furor over racist remarks

Associated Press  

LOS ANGELES — Where does the Los Angeles City Council go from here? Martinez said in the recorded conversation that white Councilmember Mike Bonin handled his young Black son as if he were an “accessory” and said of his son “Parece changuito,” or “he’s like a monkey,” the Los Angeles Times reported Sunday. She also referred to Bonin as a …

Editorial: Yes, actually, Los Angeles needs more politicians
3 years, 1 month ago

Editorial: Yes, actually, Los Angeles needs more politicians

LA Times  

It’s time to enlarge the Los Angeles City Council, and maybe even double the number of elected council members. Compare that to New York City, which has 51 City Council districts of 173,000 residents each, and Chicago, which has 50 districts of 55,000 residents each. Diaz that recommended increasing the number of council districts to at least 22 to better …

Discover Related