Council Stays Neutral on College District Bill

Backers of an Assembly bill to alter the way trustees are elected to the Los Angeles Community College District from a centralized system to one of an area-based vote got no help Wednesday from the City Council.

After two days of debate, the council voted 11 to 4 to take no position on the issue.

Although the council has no jurisdiction over the matter, the bill’s sponsor, Assemblyman Tony Cardenas (D-Sylmar), asked the body for its support before it is considered by the state Legislature in January.

Speaking in favor of the bill, AB1328, some council members said the issue was one of fairness and democracy.

Currently, there are several areas within the college district boundaries that are not represented on the seven-member board, including the San Fernando Valley.

“District elections are the standard of democracy and to suggest that we should have centralized elections knowing communities will be left out of the process is wrong,” Councilman Richard Alarcon said during the council debate.

But those who opposed the bill said it would result in a gross gerrymandering of the district to have at least one of the nine colleges in each district, and board members would look out for the interests of only that college.

Ultimately, council members Jackie Goldberg and Joel Wachs, who had spoken out against the bill, suggested that the divided council stay out of the matter altogether.

Cardenas said he was disappointed with the vote and would even have preferred that the council take a position against it rather than none at all.

“It’s important that when we have local issues come up, that local officials weigh in,” he said. “This is an area that fully overlaps the community college districts and the colleges are an integral part of their own [council] districts.”