Now that another elected official is facing criminal charges, Angelenos are debating how the Los Angeles City Council should move forward, including whether the official in question, Curren Price, should remain on the council, resign or be suspended and, if he resigns or is suspended, who should replace him and how.
District 9 Councilmember Price, who represents residents in South Los Angeles and part of downtown L.A., was charged last week with multiple counts of embezzlement, perjury and conflicts of interest.
He’s called the charges “unwarranted” and according to a spokesperson for the county District Attorney’s Office is set to be arraigned on July 13. In the meantime, Price has stepped down as council president pro tempore and from all of his city council committee assignments, saying in a letter to the council president last week that he did not want to be a “distraction to the people’s business.”
Some say Price hasn’t had his day in court and should remain on the council unless proven guilty, while others are calling for his immediate resignation.
“He’s already stepped down (from committee assignments),” said Johnny Andrade, president of the South Central Neighborhood Council, which is in the 9th District. “They’re asking him to leave the seat. But leave it for whom? … Leave it for folks who are really focused on slandering his name? … We need to wait until the facts and the truth are out.”
Andrade said the councilmember – who is Black but represents a district that is vastly made up of Latino residents – has worked with both the Black and Latino communities and has done a lot for district residents, including launching a Día de los Muertos festival years ago and providing support to the community during the coronavirus pandemic.
But others say Price should resign immediately so the city can call a special election and allow District 9 residents to vote for a new representative.
Adriana Cabrera, who previously ran…
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