The cities of Los Angeles, Glendale and Burbank — three of the largest cities in the region — are in the midst of considering major political reforms amid calls for their governments to be more responsive to the needs of the people.
The movements for change occur as Americans are reconsidering how their democracy works after the Jan. 6, 2021 insurrection in Washington, D.C. and a racial reckoning demanding better representation.
Los Angeles
On Monday, the L.A. City Council’s Ad Hoc Committee on Governance Reform met to discuss the possibility of setting up an independent redistricting commission. The idea of 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 Hall tapes scandal led to the resignation of then-council President Nury Martinez and calls for councilmembers Kevin De Leon and Gil Cedillo to step down. The idea behind creating an independent residents’ panel to take over the decennial task of drawing council boundaries is that taking redistricting out of councilmembers’ hands would make the process more fair.
The council is also considering expanding its size from the current 15. Right now, each councilmember represents more than 260,000 people. In New York, councilmembers represent about 160,000 people each.
Glendale
On Tuesday, the Glendale City Council plans to conduct its first public hearing on a proposal to end the practice of electing its members in citywide “at-large” elections. The council is considering placing on the March ballot a proposed charter change that would establish city council…
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