What is the L.A. City Council’s role?
Those who follow city government closely say the Los Angeles’ City Council is the most powerful city council in the United States. At just 15 members, each person elected to serve represents about 260,000 residents within a specific geographic area.
How does that stack up against other big cities? Well, two other big cities in the nation — New York and Chicago — have 51 and 50 city council members, respectively.
Back in 1925, when the city made the switch from at-large representation to districts, each council member represented fewer than 39,000 people. Some observers of L.A. politics, including the Los Angeles Times editorial board, argue it’s time to expand the council. But for right now, we’re talking about 15 council seats, of which eight are currently up for election.
Note: These districts went through an extensive review and reshaping based on the results of the 2020 Census. So you might not be voting in the same city council district as you did in 2020.
With so much power in relatively few hands, the relationship the mayor has with the council is particularly important. The mayor needs the council’s support to enact policy. Think of the council as L.A.’s legislature. While the mayor can make proposals and rally public support, it’s the council that writes and passes the laws.
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