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The cities of Los Angeles, Glendale and Burbank, three of the region’s largest cities, are considering major policy reforms amid calls to make their governments more responsive to people’s needs.
The movements for change come as Americans are reconsidering how their democracy works after the January 6, 2021, uprising in Washington, DC and a racial divide demanding better representation.
Los Angeles
On Monday, the LA City Council’s Ad Hoc Commission on Governance Reform met to discuss the possibility of creating an independent redistricting commission. The idea for an independent panel arose from the release last year of a recording of three council members secretly plotting how to redraw political districts.
The City Council tapes scandal led to the resignation of then-council president Nury Martínez and calls for councilors Kevin De Leon and Gil Cedillo to step down. The idea behind creating an independent panel of residents to take on the decade-long task of drawing council boundaries is that taking redistricting out of the hands of council members would make the process fairer.
The council is also considering expanding its size from the current 15. At the moment, each councilor represents more than 260,000 people. In New York, council members represent about 160,000 people each.
Glendale
On Tuesday, the Glendale City Council plans to hold its first public hearing on a proposal to end the practice of electing its members in citywide “at-large” elections. The council is considering putting on the March ballot a proposed charter change that would establish city council districts so that each member would run to represent a district.
General elections often result in the underrepresentation of people of color in local government. Glendale is also considering electing a mayor instead of rotating the position among council members.
Burbank
Burbank has already decided to move to council district elections and plans a series of community forums next month to discuss an initial map for five districts. The city took the step after receiving a tip of a possible violation of the California Voting Rights Act on behalf of a voter, according to the city’s website. “The notice referred to that [L]Atino voters are not represented and their power is diluted,” the website states.
In January, the city council unanimously adopted a resolution that began the transition from general elections to district elections.
In 1925, LA adopted district elections. Different reforms are being considered today.
next steps in LA
The LA Ad Hoc Committee on Government Reform holds its next meeting on Thursday, August 10, 2023 at 10 a.m., when it will hear presentations from community organizations.
On Monday, August 21, 2023 at 10 a.m., the Office of the Chief Legislative Analyst will present its first set of recommendations for committee consideration based on comments received during the listening sessions.
On Monday, September 18, 2023 at 10 a.m., the committee will consider and vote on its final recommendations in full council.
The discussion at the LA Council Ad Hoc Committee meeting
“This is an excellent opportunity to get fair representation for all Angelenos,” Daniel Jimenez, director of community organizing for Inner City Struggle, said at Tuesday’s committee hearing. Jimenez spoke in favor of a larger council and an independent redistricting commission.
Lionel Mares was also in favor of the creation of more municipal districts.
“San Fernando Valley has a large population and we deserve better representation,” said Lionel Mares of Sun Valley. “Expanding city hall will give us districts of a manageable size.”
The ad hoc committee heard from the city’s chief legislative analyst’s office about the many details involved in creating an independent redistricting commission, including how much panel members would be paid. City staff suggested a grant of up to $100 per meeting. Some said it is little.
“Commission members must receive a sufficient stipend, without which the applicant pool will be restricted to only those with financial resources,” said Carolina Goodman of the League of Women Voters of Greater LA.
There was also debate over whether any commission should be required to have a two-thirds vote to approve political maps.
Councilman Bob Blumenfield, a former chairman of the California Assembly’s budget committee, said requiring a supermajority is a bad idea.
“When we were asked to have a supermajority, it gave disproportionate power to a few extremists,” he said.
Councilor Marqueece Harris-Dawson was in favor of requiring a two-thirds map for any redrawing of political districts, noting that the redistricting map approved last year failed to garner two-thirds support at the commission of redistricting or the town hall.
“As someone who was part of those extremists who were against the map, I definitely think more work could have been done to build a consensus, like a conversation maybe,” he said.
Key aspects of any reform proposal in LA remain up in the air: How big should a redistricting commission be and how should its members be selected? And if the town hall is expanded, how big should it be?
The ad hoc committee holds more meetings in late August and is expected to make a formal recommendation to the full City Council in September. Voters would have to approve the creation of an independent redistricting commission.
Several of the two dozen people who spoke at the meeting complained that the ad hoc committee doesn’t hold meetings at night, on weekends or on a platform like Zoom to make it easier for workers to offer input.
A spokesman for Council President Paul Krekorian, who chairs the committee, did not respond to a request for comment.
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