The Los Angeles City Council on Tuesday, June 20, elected Councilmember Marqueece Harris-Dawson its new president pro tempore, replacing Councilmember Curren Price who stepped down from the leadership post last week and is facing corruption charges.
The 12-0 vote to name Harris-Dawson the new president pro tempore was taken with no discussion by the council. Price has not attended a council meeting since the news broke about the charges against him and was absent for the vote. Councilmember Monica Rodriguez was also absent.
The president pro tempore presides over council meetings if the president is absent or steps away.
Harris-Dawson told reporters after Tuesday’s meeting that while “the boat continues to rock” — a reference to the latest City Hall scandal — he is “confident” that under the guidance of Council President Paul Krekorian and others, the council “will navigate the situation and we will come out of it stronger.”
City Hall has been rattled by a series of scandals in recent years.
Harris-Dawson said Tuesday that he will visit Price’s Council District 9, which borders his own District 8, to seek input from residents about what they want to see happen. He noted that he worked for 25 years for an organization located in District 9.
“I will feel very at home, and we have lots of folks that we know there that we’ll be engaging in conversation,” Harris-Dawson said.
Meanwhile, Price remains a member of the City Council. Some residents of District 9 appeared at City Hall on Tuesday, urging elected officials to meet with them and consider their input as the council weighs whether to suspend Price and, should they do so, how to fill his seat.
District 9 resident Evelia Palmero joined other members of the Alliance of Californians for Community Empowerment (ACCE) in asking for Krekorian and Harris-Dawson to meet with residents in Price’s district.
Palermo said that if anyone is chosen to replace Price, “We want someone from…
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