Joan Pelico, candidate for the Los Angeles City Council, 4th District, issued a statement in strong support of the efforts of the Valley Alliance of Neighborhood Councils (VANC) in regards to their recommendations for reforms to the Neighborhood Council system.
Recommendations include extending the public speaking time for Neighborhood Councils or Alliances who are speaking on behalf of their respective organizations from 2 minutes to 5 minutes, being able to carry-over funds from one fiscal year to the next, as well as revisiting the role of the Board of Neighborhood Councils in certifying or de-certifying Councils.
"Our Neighborhood Council system has been an enormous boon to both the City and to the empowerment of neighborhood advocates, but we need to ensure that Councils and Alliances have all the tools they need to address the concerns of their neighborhoods," stated Pelico. "Many of these common-sense recommendations from VANC are a good start towards removing some of the most onerous bureaucratic hurdles from the administration of the Councils, and they help to elevate the level of responsibility and autonomy of the Councils within the existing DONE system.
"As a single-mother who raised her daughter in CD 4 and has interacted for years with neighborhood councils, as well as many other grass-roots organizations, I have seen the positive impact that the councils have had on our community. I would encourage and even challenge any and all candidates running for City Council in CD 4 to join me in supporting the efforts of the Neighborhood Councils and Alliances, and I promise that as Councilmember one of my first acts will be to offer any motions necessary to move these recommendations forward."
