Category: LA city council

LA City Council to Return to Virtual Meetings

LOS ANGELES—The Los Angeles City Council will return to virtual meetings for the first month of 2022 as officials assess the latest COVID-19 surge, Council President Nury Martinez’s office announced Jan. 4. Meetings were held virtually twice a week from March 2020 until June 15, 2021, when the City Council resumed in-person meetings, although members…


LA City Council Approves 2028 Olympic Games Agreement

LOS ANGELES—Los Angeles is set to host the 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games, after the city council approved on Dec. 3 an agreement with LA28, the 2028 Olympic Games organizing committee. The city council voted 11–2 in favor of the agreement, with Councilmembers Nithya Raman and Mike Bonin disagreeing. The Olympics are expected to cost…


LA Approves Roadmap for Dramatic Increase in Housing Citywide

LOS ANGELES—The Los Angeles City Council unanimously approved on Nov. 24 a blueprint to zone for nearly 500,000 new housing units by 2029, as mandated by the state. “The housing crisis is one of the biggest and most pressing issues facing our city,” Council President Nury Martinez said in a statement following the vote. “While other cities have…


LA City Council Approves Hybrid Draft Redistricting Map

The Los Angeles City Council approved councilmembers’ changes to the original map submitted by the citizen-led redistricting commission. The council approved Nov. 9 most amendments made by the newly-formed Ad Hoc Redistricting Committee, which first met on Nov. 5. The committee includes council members Nithya Raman, Mitch O’Farrell, Bob Blumenfield, Kevin de Leon, Paul Koretz,…


Thousands Protest Against LA City Worker Vaccine Mandate

Thousands gathered in front of the Los Angeles City Hall Oct. 8, protesting the city’s upcoming December deadline for terminating all city employees and contractors unvaccinated against COVID-19. The city council voted in August to require its employees to be fully vaccinated by Dec. 18. Shortly after the approval, Mayor Eric Garcetti warned that those…


Ridley-Thomas Makes 1st Appearance Since Arraignment

LOS ANGELES—A brief status conference was held Nov. 8 in the corruption case against Los Angeles City Councilman Mark Ridley Thomas and Marilyn Flynn, a former dean of the USC School of Social Work. Both made their first appearance this morning before the federal judge overseeing their case, but a new trial date was not yet scheduled. During the…


Mayoral Candidate Feuer Seeks 2022 Ballot Measure to Double Size of Council

LOS ANGELES—Los Angeles City Attorney Mike Feuer said Nov. 1 that, as part of his mayoral campaign, he will seek to have a ballot measure next year to double the size of the city council, with each council member receiving half their $223,829 salary. Feuer first announced his position to increase the number of city…


Ridley-Thomas Suspended From LA City Council

LOS ANGELES—City Councilman Mark Ridley-Thomas was suspended from office by a divided Los Angeles City Council Oct. 20, shortly before he is scheduled to be arraigned on federal bribery and conspiracy charges stemming from his time serving on the county Board of Supervisors. The motion to suspend Ridley-Thomas was introduced Tuesday by Council President Nury…


Ridley-Thomas Suspended From Los Angeles City Council

LOS ANGELES—City Councilman Mark Ridley-Thomas was suspended from office by a divided Los Angeles City Council Oct. 20, shortly before he is scheduled to be arraigned on federal bribery and conspiracy charges stemming from his time serving on the county Board of Supervisors. Councilmen Marqueece Harris-Dawson, Curren Price, and Mike Bonin opposed the suspension. Bonin…


Councilman Mitch O’Farrell Elected President Pro Tempore of LA City Council

LOS ANGELES—Councilman Mitch O’Farrell was elected the City Council’s president pro tempore Sept. 28, replacing Councilman and 2022 mayoral candidate Joe Buscaino. “I appreciate the vote of confidence, it’s a great honor,” O’Farrell said. He spoke about the work the City Council has done in the last year and a half of the pandemic, including…