Los Angeles City Council tries to resume business after leaked tape scandal

“It is inappropriate for this committee to exhibit any form of self-indulgence or scramble for positions of power when the whole question raised is about assumptions, longings and desperation for one’s own power to disenfranchise others,” said O’Farrell, who said He is not interested in the job.

The vote, which used to receive little attention outside Los Angeles, is under scrutiny as leaked recordings have exposed painful racial divisions in the nation’s second-largest city. The scandal and its aftermath come as Los Angeles faces a looming mayoral election and major economic challenges as it prepares to host the 2028 Olympics.

The two council members involved in the recorded conversation — Jill Zedillo and Kevin De Leon — rejected widespread calls for their resignation. It was not immediately clear whether the two sides planned to attend Tuesday’s meeting, which will be held virtually and will mainly include dozens of routine items of municipal governance.

Whoever becomes city council president will lead the agency as Los Angeles is considering major changes to how the city is governed, including expanding the number of city council districts and creating an independent redistricting committee — longstanding problems caused by behind-the-scenes deals have become urgent. The light has been lit by leaked recordings from the office of the union official who resigned over the scandal.

They will also play a powerful role similar to that of state legislature leaders, setting policy agendas and appointing other council members to key committee positions.

The committee is expected to vote on Tuesday with an initial decision to include the redistricting plan on the ballot.

According to conversations with advisers, staff and members themselves, three members — Curran Price, Paul Krekorian and Bob Blumenfeld — have emerged as front-runners for the presidency, despite the fact that It is unclear whether any of them have the eight votes needed to win. Even under greater scrutiny than ever, political alliances and resentment could still sway votes.

Only 12 of the council’s 14 voting members are expected to attend Tuesday’s meeting, so the road to a majority for any candidate is very slim. Only one member, Monica Rodriguez, has publicly expressed support for one candidate, telling reporters she supports Price.

Uncertainty over the vote and the political wrangling following the scandal prompted observers to call for a process for council members to discuss leadership decisions in private before unanimous decisions are made publicly.

There is also the question of whether there are enough members in the meeting to establish a quorum. A minimum of 10 members is required for the council to function, a threshold that was missed twice last week as MP John Lee was out of town for sanctioned absences and MPs Marqueece Harris-Dawson and Mike Bonin refused to attend in protest of Leon and Zedillo’s refusal to resign .

Lee has since returned to serve on the council, and O’Farrell announced that Tuesday’s meeting will take place after Bonin tested positive for the coronavirus. The move reduced fears that the meeting would be disrupted, something protesters promised to do before De Leon and Zedillo resigned.

Given the racist content of the leaked conversations, activists have called for the new council president to be a person of color. Three Latino committee members and a Latino labor leader were caught discussing how to disempower black voters, who make up a tiny fraction of the entire Los Angeles population but turn out far higher than the Latino group.

“I think there has to be a person of color now to lead this committee,” said Los Angeles County Democratic Party Chairman Mark Gonzalez. “The eyes of the world are on what Los Angeles is doing.”

Price, Krekorian and Blumenfield are all former state legislators who are among the longest-serving members of the city council, with Krekorian joining the agency in 2010, followed by Price and Blumenfield in 2013. Price represents a predominantly Latino area that includes much of downtown and southern Los Angeles, while Krekorian and Blumenfield are from the whiter parts of the San Fernando Valley.

Price is black, the only person of color among the top candidates.

The uproar in the city council took place in Los Angeles is just weeks away from electing a new mayor. two congressmen. Karen Bass Developer Rick Caruso has asked members to resign, saying the incident showed the council desperately needed strong leadership.

Much of Bass’ legacy has been built on bridging the divide between black and Latino Los Angeles south of Los Angeles, compared to Caruso, a white billionaire known for building some of the city’s most luxurious malls. Some see a slight center of advantage in this area.

Most council members back Bass, and she has yet to say publicly who she prefers to chair the council, with the exception of Zedillo and Jobs Kaino, who both backed Caruso earlier this year.

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