Reinventing City Hall—Just Need To Wait

DEEGAN ON LA - Political Los Angeles is in desperate need of a makeover. The city and its residents need more than the face-lift offered by Mayor Bass and Councilmember Raman (CD4).

They may not be enough for a beleaguered city facing a deepening homeless crisis, strained budgets, and a political hierarchy that, except for a few declared Socialist council members, offers only more of the same.

Neither mayoral candidate may make a difference. Each suffers the delusion that they are the answer to our problems. Both have been dissected by voters and the media; one will win and one will lose. It’s only a formality in a vote starting in early October.

Voters may need to hold their noses when they cast a vote for mayor and hold their breath for the next few years as they wait for an effective takeover of City Hall by Socialists; a very real mathematical possibility that will definitely change the political paradigm. 

As it is, the City government is designed to be a “weak mayor-strong council” entity. Power sits around the city council horseshoe. The mayor administers various city departments and has a bully pulpit, and may sign off on measures, but it’s the council that runs the political pulse at City Hall.

With or without a sitting Socialist mayor, the tidal shift toward the “left of left” is inevitable.

Four council members representing the future have already been elected. They are Eunisses Hernandez (CD1), Nithya Raman (CD4), Hugo Soto-Martinez (CD13) and Ysabel Jurado (CD14).

The municipal elections in 2028 - on the heels of that summer’s Olympics - may deliver the prize that LA deserves. The waiting and warm-ups begin now.

(Tim Deegan is a longtime civic activist and columnist whose Deegan on LA feature has been a staple of CityWatchLA for over a decade. With a focus on Los Angeles city politics and neighborhood issues, Deegan brings thoughtful analysis and grassroots perspective to every column. His work highlights the voices of local communities and the impact of City Hall decisions on everyday Angelenos. He can be reached at [email protected].)