City Council Torch Passed to Padilla

In an emotional ceremony that marked the passing of the torch, 26-year-old Alex Padilla on Tuesday became the youngest member of the Los Angeles City Council, taking the oath of office administered by 87-year-old former Councilman Ernani Bernardi.

Padilla had tears in his eyes as he dedicated his first term to his parents, Santos and Lupe, immigrants from Mexico. He proudly said his mother became a U.S. citizen two days after his election, and three years after his father took the citizenship oath.

Padilla told the more than 100 people who attended the City Hall ceremony that his parents instilled in him an appreciation of democracy and service to others.

“I’ve told people over and over the stories of my mother and how she kept us involved in things from Little League to church, to planting trees and painting over graffiti, anything we could do to make someone else’s life a little bit better,” Padilla said. “I think that’s what life is about and what this [City Council] is about.”

Padilla’s parents said they were proud to see their son represent the northeast San Fernando Valley’s 7th District.

“I still have butterflies, but I’m very happy and I feel very proud,” Padilla’s father said after the ceremony.

Padilla is the youngest current member of the City Council. At least two others have served on the council at a younger age, including Rosalind Wyman, who was 22 when she was elected in 1953.

Bernardi, who held the 7th District seat until his retirement in 1993, predicted Padilla will do well on the council.

“He’s a bright young man. He’s very energetic,” Bernardi said.

The ceremony in the council chambers was attended by 13 other council members and many of Padilla’s supporters, including his former employer, Assemblyman Tony Cardenas (D-Sylmar). Absent from the ceremony was former 7th District Councilman Richard Alarcon, now a state senator, who backed Padilla’s opponent, Corinne Sanchez, in the June election.

Padilla said Alarcon has been helpful in making the transition a smooth one.

Many of the young people who worked on Padilla’s campaign also attended the ceremony. Padilla attracted an army of young volunteers, inspired by his story of the kid from the Pacoima barrio who went on to get an engineering degree from Massachusetts Institute of Technology and then came home to cut his political teeth on successful campaigns for Cardenas and Alarcon.

Padilla won the council election with 67% of the vote.

“I’m just a little jittery,” Padilla said after the ceremony. “I’m certainly excited about the opportunities, but also I’m feeling the big load of responsibility that we have.”

Padilla was seated Tuesday next to Nick Pacheco, the other new member of the council. Pacheco, from the Eastside’s 14th District, was sworn in last week.

Padilla delayed his swearing-in ceremony until Tuesday so that a quirk in city law would allow him to serve, if reelected, two full four-year terms, as well as the last two years remaining on the unexpired term vacated by Alarcon’s election to the Senate.

The freshmen council members wasted no time when the council began its regular meeting.

They both spoke against an ordinance that would ban inflatable advertising figures. The council decided to delay action on the proposal for further study.

Padilla is spending his first few days in meetings with council colleagues and city department heads, including a session with Police Chief Bernard Parks.

Having won election on the promise of increasing city services to a historically neglected district, Padilla said he has asked council President John Ferraro to appoint him to the public works, transportation, planning or budget committees.

“There are a lot of committees that will be very helpful in bringing services to the district,” Padilla said.

Padilla also has scheduled a meeting with city transportation officials in an effort to repair a traffic light at his old elementary school that he says doesn’t give students enough time to cross a busy street.

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* PADILLA AGENDA: Councilman speaks to same theme that got him elected. B4