During Thursday’s meeting, a Los Angeles City Council committee voted on proposals for government reform, with a specific focus on establishing an independent council redistricting commission. The Ad Hoc Committee on City Governance Reform unanimously approved a package of proposals for the city’s independent council redistricting commission. Council President Paul Krekorian praised the committee’s efforts, highlighting the high level of public engagement in creating a truly independent commission. The recommendations will now be presented to the full council for review within the next 30 days, allowing time for public input.
While the committee celebrated their progress, there was still some concern about the lack of final recommendations for council expansion. Councilwoman Nithya Raman acknowledged the need for independent redistricting and expanding the council to address the current oversized districts. However, she emphasized the importance of a comprehensive discussion to ensure all necessary data and information are considered in making informed decisions.
The proposed reforms, including the establishment of independent redistricting commissions for the City Council and Los Angeles Unified School District, would require approval from the full City Council and revision to the City Charter, ultimately subject to the voters’ decision. The committee aims to finalize recommendations and present them to the voters within the next two election years.
The committee’s focus on creating independent redistricting commissions aims to remove the influence of council members in determining boundaries and district numbers. The committee also discussed the need for further research to evaluate options related to the Los Angeles Unified School District commission.
During Thursday’s meeting, the committee finalized recommendations on various aspects of the independent redistricting commission, including composition, selection process, map considerations, communication protocols, and the effective date of new maps. The recommendations were the result of eight months of work, incorporating feedback from residents, community groups, and organizations advocating for reform.
Under the proposed recommendations, the independent redistricting commission would consist of 16 members and four alternates, serving a 10-year term. Commissioners would be prohibited from running for or working in specific elected offices or city positions for four years after their service or term completion. The City Clerk’s Office would oversee the selection process, with input from the Ethics Department or a third party. The selection criteria would consider geographical and diversity factors, with the four alternates randomly drawn.
A motion to prioritize considering cultural and economic assets when drawing district maps failed to gain enough support. However, the commission may still consider these factors as part of their work, though not as prominently. The council members also approved strict rules prohibiting communication between commissioners and council members or their staff.
The committee will address the issue of council expansion, considering increasing the number of council districts from 15 to between 23 and 29. They will also finalize a recommendation on options to change the council district election cycle. These discussions will take place in a future meeting.
The push for an independent commission stems from a leaked conversation in October 2021 involving then-Council President Nury Martinez, Councilman Kevin de León, former Councilman Gil Cedillo, and L.A. County Federation of Labor head Ron Herrera. The conversation contained racist remarks and led to Martinez’s resignation and calls for de León to resign. The leaked conversation occurred during a meeting of the current Council-led redistricting commission.
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