City Councils, at a municipal level, represent the people within its surrounding neighborhoods to other levels of government. LA City Council consists of 15 members that represent the 15 districts within the city, and each council member is elected by voters from their district. Once elected, city council members serve four-year terms, with a maximum of three terms in office. The LA City Council is chaired by the Council President, who is selected every year from a majority vote by the Council.
What role does the LA City Council serve?
The LA City Council is the legislative branch of city government that represents and advocates for the people within its encompassing neighborhoods. The council holds the legislative authority as the governing body of the City. The council proposes legislation that gets sent to the LA Mayor for approval, and works with the City Commissioner and City Attorney to manage the city’s budget and commission elections. In the LA City Council, each of the 15 council members also represents a specific district, which allows them to directly advocate for the citizens in their respective neighborhoods. Within LA’s total population of 4 million people, each council member represents around 270,000 people, respectively.
The Council is also divided into committees to address more specific issues and make recommendations on further actions to the full council. All general and committee meetings are streamed live, allowing for citizens to participate and make their voices heard through public comments. The agendas for all regular meetings are posted 72 hours in advance, and all regular meetings give citizens opportunities to make public comments on general topics or specific agenda items.
How does the City Council’s role differ from the Mayor’s Office?
Although the City Council works closely with the LA Mayor’s office, the City Council represents a separate body of local elected officials. The LA City Council manages the city’s elections, imposes taxes, authorizes public works projects, and enacts ordinances that get sent to the Mayor for approval or veto. On the other hand, the Mayor submits recommendations and proposals to the Council for review, and has the ability to appoint or remove Council members and commissioners. The Mayor represents LA’s chief executive at large, while the City Council forms a body of legislative officials that represents the people within Los Angeles’s 15 districts. Because they represent different parts of city government, City Council members and the LA Mayor are also elected separately. The position of Council President rivals the influence of the Mayor. If and when the mayor’s office is vacant, the council president becomes acting mayor, making that position the second highest politician in the city.
How can the LA City Council Support API Communities and Stop Asian Hate?
The LA City Council can significantly support API communities and combat Asian hate through several impactful strategies.
Ensuring diverse representation is crucial, and the presence of Councilmembers like John S. Lee, Nithya Raman, and Kevin de León, who bring diverse perspectives and API representation, is a positive step. These members play a pivotal role in shaping policies that directly address the needs and concerns of API communities.
One notable initiative is the "LA FOR ALL" campaign, co-introduced by Councilmembers Lee, Raman, and Ridley-Thomas in 2021. This motion, which was passed with the support of former Mayor Eric Garcetti, called for a public messaging campaign to combat anti-AAPI hate speech, crafted in collaboration with artists from the AAPI communities.
This campaign is a response to the alarming rise in hate crimes, including a 114% increase in incidents against Asian Americans reported in 2020 alone. By focusing on public awareness and education, the City Council not only provides immediate support to those affected but also works towards creating a long-term cultural shift towards inclusion and respect across Los Angeles.
Additionally, the campaign highlights a proactive approach to improving access for reporting hate incidents. By instructing the Civil + Human Rights and Equity Department, the Information Technology Agency, and the Los Angeles Police Department to explore ways to enhance reporting mechanisms, including through dedicated mobile apps, the council is taking concrete steps toward fostering a safer and more inclusive city for all its residents.
These efforts, combined with ongoing legislative and community engagement, are essential in building a safer and more inclusive environment for API residents.
How can API Communities get involved with City Council?
City Councils manage the cities’ budgets and can support programs and initiatives that directly benefit API communities, such as:
Supporting initiatives for increased data disaggregation in research regarding Asian American and Pacific Islander communities
Allocating more funding for Neighborhood Councils where API communities are prevalent, to support local API businesses, mental health resources, and community-oriented events
API community members can get their voices heard in City Council by making public comments! Read CAUSE’s toolkit on making public comments HERE.
Find Your City Council Members
To find your City Council representatives, LA Forward finds your federal, state, county, and city representatives based on where you live.
To get in touch with your LA City Council member, visit the city directory :
City Council general meetings occur every Tuesday, Wednesday, and Friday, at 10:00 am Pacific Time. For upcoming LA City Council and individual committee meetings, visit https://clerk.lacity.gov/calendar. All meetings can be streamed live.
This Did You Know was created by Lucy Pan, CAUSE 2023 Spring Intern.