6 Candidates Promise to Support Councils

All six major candidates seeking to become Los Angeles’s next mayor promised Saturday to make neighborhood councils a key part of their administrations, and to ensure that the groups are given enough resources to be effective.

The candidates spoke at the annual meeting of the 8th District Empowerment Congress, a neighborhood council widely viewed as a model for how others can function citywide.

They were invited to the gathering by Councilman Mark Ridley-Thomas, who nine years ago began the 8th District Empowerment Congress, his own version of a neighborhood council. Ridley-Thomas gives a third of his budget to the group each year.

The councilman urged the candidates to support the concept throughout Los Angeles, a prodding that none of the candidates seemed to need.

“Everyone benefits from neighborhood councils. They broaden and deepen the partnership between residents and government officials,” he said.

A new City Charter approved by voters in 1999 called for the creation of neighborhood councils citywide to advise the City Council on local projects and issues.

This year’s gathering, attended by about 500 people, was held at USC’s Davidson Conference Center.

All the candidates said they would like to see neighborhood councils work, especially in poor and immigrant neighborhoods.

“I want to make sure the 8th District Empowerment Congress is the model,” said City Atty. James K. Hahn, one of the candidates. “You are no longer an experiment; you’re an institution.”

He said he would even welcome input from neighborhood councils when evaluating the performance of the city’s general managers for raises.

The other candidates in attendance were Rep. Xavier Becerra, state Controller Kathleen Connell, businessman Steven Soboroff, Assemblyman Antonio Villaraigosa and Councilman Joel Wachs.

After the candidates spoke, the group held a straw poll to see who their council would support for mayor if the vote were held Saturday. Of the 285 participants, Hahn collected the most votes, with 125. Villaraigosa came in second with 51 votes, Connell had 36; Wachs, 28; Becerra, 16, and Soboroff, 10.

Some candidates said they believe the new charter should have given councils the power to vote on issues affecting their neighborhoods. Others said organizing and joining other neighborhood groups is key to influencing city decisions.

“Power is not given; it’s taken,” Villaraigosa said. “You take it by organizing yourself.”

Wachs, who has supported the neighborhood council since he ran for mayor eight years ago, said he also believes the councils exert power by working together.

He said the key is making sure that all neighborhoods are given resources to organize and have adequate dialogue with each other and with city officials.

“It’s about giving you a voice. It’s about making you a lobbyist--the people’s lobbyist,” Wachs said.

Connell agreed. “I will put resources into neighborhood councils,” she said. “We can make a better L.A. . . . The answer lies with you.”

Becerra said he would support an effort to give neighborhood councils the authority to vote. He also suggested that the city should follow Ridley-Thomas’ lead and give the councils one-third of the city’s budget to operate.

“If Mr. Ridley-Thomas can devote one-third of his budget there is no reason City Hall can’t do that,” Becerra said.

A newly created agency, the Department of Neighborhood Empowerment, is developing a final plan for a system of advisory neighborhood councils. Once approved by the City Council, the department will begin certifying neighborhood councils.