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The mayor said today he would reserve a seat on every city commission for members of neighborhood councils. I presume that includes the juice commissions like planning, airport, harbor and DWP that have always been seen as elite spots to appoint key supporters and fundraisers, and the Public Works board whose members draw a six-figure salary. Hahn also promised to involve the councils in hiring department heads and the city budget process. In the primary campaign, remember, he proposed to give every council $100,000 in city funds to make street repairs (on top of the $50,000 they get to spend on whatever.) Hahn in today's release:
"Power in Los Angeles is moving from City Hall to where it belongs - in our neighborhoods. Four years ago, there were no neighborhood councils. Today there are 85, and we're transforming the way government works."
If Hahn carries through, it will be interesting to see which constituencies lose seats to make room for the new appointees. It also could be fascinating to watch what happens as neighborhood councils become a more influential part of the City Hall politics machinery, but outside the usual disclosure and clean-government rules. With real power at stake, and utterly no oversight from the media, it wouldn't be a surprise to me if the relatively harmless election snafus and hyper-local feuds at some councils turn into bigger shenanigans involving conflicts of interest, secret agendas and hidden payments (you know, grass roots democracy.) Also, I'd expect to see the councils become a training ground for the next waves of local pols. Prediction: Once L.A. decides whether to elect a Latino mayor, neighborhood councils become the next big local political story.
* Also: Eric Richardson of the Downtown neighborhood council blogs about Hahn's meeting today. Brady Westwater also comments on the Hahn move, as does The Angelino.