Councilwoman’s Husband Appointed to CRA Board

Attorney Doug Ring, the husband of Los Angeles City Councilwoman Cindy Miscikowski, won council approval Tuesday to serve on the Los Angeles redevelopment board, but not before his appointment was blasted by some of Miscikowski’s colleagues.

The council voted 9 to 3, with members Rita Walters, Rudy Svorinich Jr. and Nate Holden opposed to confirming the Brentwood resident’s appointment to the Community Redevelopment Agency.

Walters said she is concerned about the appearance of a conflict of interest in having Miscikowski, whose district extends from the San Fernando Valley to West Los Angeles, voting on actions of her husband.

“We deal with a lot of CRA matters, and to me that [appointment] is erasing a firewall that should be there for city business as far as the spouse of any of us is concerned,” Walters said.

Gordon Murley of the Woodland Hills Homeowners Organization called the appointment “cronyism at its worst.”

“We don’t see how Miscikowski can ever vote on anything regarding the CRA, because he is on the board,” Murley said.

Ring, a former lobbyist, said the city attorney’s office has opined that his wife would not be disqualified from voting on actions he takes with the CRA board. There is no conflict as long as there is no financial benefit, said Glenn Barr, a spokesman for the councilwoman.