{"id":334510,"date":"2026-05-27T15:18:11","date_gmt":"2026-05-27T15:18:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/334510\/"},"modified":"2026-05-27T15:18:11","modified_gmt":"2026-05-27T15:18:11","slug":"inside-l-a-s-chaotic-highest-paid-city-council","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/334510\/","title":{"rendered":"Inside L.A.\u2019s Chaotic, Highest-Paid City Council"},"content":{"rendered":"

In late April \u2014 long before the abuse of dogs on L.A.\u2019s Skid Row made national headlines \u2014 Rebecca Corry, an actress and comedian who founded the animal nonprofit Stand Up for Pits, posted a video of her experience at City Hall where she tried to get elected officials to pay attention for the 60 seconds she was allotted for public comment before the start of the meeting. As she spoke about inhumane abuse inflicted on dogs that activists had uncovered, some City Councilmembers scrolled. Councilmember Nithya Raman<\/a>, Corry noted, walked out. A few chatted. Others ate breakfast. One talked on his cell phone. The disrespect in the video was tangible, and what Corry called \u201cunbelievably rude.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Stand\"StandStand Up for Pits founder Rebecca CorryCredit: Irvin Rivera<\/p>\n

So, Los Angeles set out to see how the highest-paid City Council in the nation treats its constituents.<\/p>\n

We left that hearing thinking two words: Holy. Hell.<\/p>\n

It was a Wednesday morning in late April during what should be an ordinary day of business for Councilmembers who assemble on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Fridays at 10 a.m. in the John Ferraro Council Chamber located in Room 340 of the majestic sprawl of Downtown Los Angeles City Hall. When we arrived, roughly half the chairs were unoccupied by the Councilmembers (CD11\u2019s Traci Park was officially excused for district business) as the public began to address their elected leaders.<\/p>\n

We quickly learned that there is nothing mundane about these meetings.<\/p>\n

\"Los\"LosA City Council meeting regular throws the birdCredit: Irvin Rivera<\/p>\n

With their dog, two men \u2014 both infamous gadflies known for terrorizing elected officials from the gallery, think versions of the Muppets characters Statler and Waldorf, only much more profane and vile \u2014 began to yell from their seats. A group of Latino small business owners from Highland Park came in a cooperative, all wearing matching T-shirts to complain about being abused by their landlords and took turns at the mic, their comments translated by the seemingly hardest-working city employee in the room.<\/p>\n

Scroll to continue reading<\/p>\n

The gadflies threw up random middle fingers as performer and artist Anam Syed got up to sing a parody ripping local government to the tune of Shaggy\u2019s \u201cIt Wasn\u2019t Me,\u201d asking in her lyrics about the infamous sprawl of an abandoned development that has become a symbol of urban blight known in Downtown L.A. as the graffiti towers, riffing: Did we ever put a lien on the towers that put our city at a loss\/ the ones that were empty\/ that got covered in graffiti.<\/p>\n

\"\"\"\"Anam SyedCredit: Michele McPhee<\/p>\n

\"Los\"LosSyed\u2019s lyrics for \u201cIt Wasn\u2019t Me Parody\u201d Credit: Michele McPhee<\/p>\n

No one listened. She wasn\u2019t surprised. \u201cThey\u2019re utterly disrespectful to the constituents they serve. They treat public comment period like a coffee break,\u201d Syed said. \u201cI have had minimum wage service jobs where if I treated customers with a modicum of the disrespect that they show us, I would have been fired.\u201d<\/p>\n

Nick Caputo, who has been a vocal advocate for charter reform that would significantly expand the L.A. City Council, with his nonprofit Livable Advanced LA, agrees. He has often complained about the discourteous way elected officials behave.<\/p>\n

On this morning, Caputo took to the podium to make an impassioned argument that running a city as large and sprawling as Los Angeles with just 15 City Council districts is more suited for \u201ca city like Burbank.\u201d He added that the way the City Council works now is \u201clike trying to run a semi-truck with an engine that\u2019s meant for a Prius.\u201d He\u2019s not wrong. Not only are L.A. council members the highest paid in the country, they each also represent about 260,000 residents and hold incredible sway over their districts, with a lot of influence on land use decisions. Which basically makes them mini mayors lording over impressively-sized fiefdoms.<\/p>\n

\"Los\"LosLivable Advanced LA founder Nick CaputoCredit: Michele McPhee<\/p>\n

And just like the speakers before him, Caputo\u2019s remarks were virtually ignored by the elected leaders \u2014 who, he points out, unlike those making public comments in their one-minute speeches, drove to work in taxpayer-funded electric vehicles or were reimbursed for their rides. \u201cI don\u2019t care if someone is spouting on about the rapture,\u201d Caputo said. \u201cListening to the public is literally the job.\u201d<\/p>\n

In recent years, the Los Angeles City Council has been rocked by a slew of controversies and FBI raids. Three councilmembers have been convicted on federal charges. Two, Jose Huizar and Mitch Englander, separately padded their already-wildly-lucrative salaries with grifts and grafts and pay-to-play schemes. Mark Ridley-Thomas was convicted of what federal prosecutors call a bribery and fraud scheme to help land his kid a spot at the University of Southern California, which he is currently appealing. A fourth, Curren Price<\/a>, an active member who showed up at the hearing Los Angeles attended, continues to serve despite facing trial later this year on state corruption charges. Then there was the national outrage that came after a leaked tape of a meeting between City Councilmembers and a union official during which they engaged in racially charged rhetoric, which led to the resignation of Nury Martinez, the City Council president. Of the other members heard on the tape, Councilmember Kevin de Le\u00f3n lost his seat and Gil Cedillo termed out.<\/p>\n

\"\"\"\"<\/p>\n

\"\"\"\"<\/p>\n

With all these shenanigans, courtesy is the very least that a taxpaying citizen can expect, said Jamie Moore, a community activist who likes to pop by to watch the show. \u201cEven when I\u2019m viewing these hearings at home, the politicians, their workers, are munching on Cheetos, eating, drinking, talking like it\u2019s gossip hour. But they want the public to be like nice boys and girls. What kind of shit is that?\u201d<\/p>\n

When the public comment portion of the meeting was over, Los Angeles approached Councilmember Eunisses Hernandez, who is facing a tough re-election battle, in the hallway, to ask if she thought Angelenos\u2019 complaints about incivility were warranted. Instead of answering a reporter\u2019s question, she spun and stormed off without a response. An email to City Council President Marqueece Harris-Dawson about the lack of congeniality by the mere 15-member body that represents roughly 4 million Angelenos went unanswered.<\/p>\n

City Hall Crime and Punishment<\/p>\n

A slew of scandals rocked L.A.\u2019s City Hall that led to four former city councilmembers being convicted, or pleading guilty to, federal corruption charges<\/p>\n

Modern Los Angeles has never seen anything like the federal takedown dubbed by the Justice Department as Operation Casino Loyale. It started with the March 2020 indictment of former District 12 Councilmember Mitch Englander on charges he accepted $10,000 in cash, upscale Vegas trips and the services of an escort in a pay-to-play scheme. Englander would later plead guilty to one count of falsifying material facts and was hit with a 14-month sentence.<\/p>\n

He wasn\u2019t the only one. Next came the indictment and arrest of District 14 Councilman Jos\u00e9 Huizar, a Democrat from Boyle Heights, in June 2020, as part of that same probe. Federal prosecutors asserted that the Eastside Council rep had helmed a criminal operation so bra- zen the feds labeled it the \u201cCD-14 Enterprise,\u201d and that he accepted $1.5 million in bribes and kickbacks in exchange for pushing forward certain real estate development projects in Downtown L.A. Huizar, whose own brother was slated to testify against him at trial, pleaded guilty in January 2023. In 2024, a disgusted federal judge sentenced him to 13 years behind bars, saying that his crimes had \u201cthe real potential to destroy the delicate fabric of our democracy\u201d and causes the public \u201cto disengage in the democratic process\u201d and \u201cgive up all hope of participating\u201d with the government.<\/p>\n

\"\"\"\"Credit: lacity.gov<\/p>\n

\"\"\"\"Credit: lacity.gov<\/p>\n

The next Councilman to find himself facing prison time had nothing to do with that scheme. Mark Ridley-Thomas, a Democrat from Leimert Park, was convicted in 2023 on seven federal felony bribery and fraud charges. Prosecutors say Ridley-Thomas demanded that the former dean of the USC Dworak-Peck School of Social Work, Marilyn Flynn, provide his son with admission to a master\u2019s program, a full-tuition scholarship and a paid professorship \u2014 a charge he staunchly denies as he continues to fight his conviction with an appeal.<\/p>\n

\"\"\"\"Credit: lacity.gov<\/p>\n

\"\"\"\"Credit: lacity.gov<\/p>\n

City Councilmember Curren Price, a veteran politician who represents District 9, is slated to go on trial this month on 12 counts of public corruption. Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan Hochman\u2019s Office accused Price of illegally using approximately $33,800 in city funds to pay for medical benefits for his current wife while he was still legally married to another woman. Prosecutors also allege Price voted on multimillion-dollar contracts and grants for agencies that same wife was doing consulting work for. He pleaded not guilty to those charges in April and has maintained his innocence while retaining his City Council seat, which he will term out of in November.<\/p>\n

Free Rides<\/p>\n

Not only are Los Angeles City Councilmembers the highest-paid elected officials in the nation, but all city officials also have the option of a free EV ride from a taxpayer-funded pool of electric vehicles, which, naturally, are plugged into taxpayer-funded ports and maintained by taxpayer-funded mechanics. For elected officials who don\u2019t want to go electric, there is an option for a $1,200-per-month reimbursement for the use of private vehicles, which is in addition to mileage accrued on city business.<\/p>\n

\"\"\"\"New BMW i7 \u2013 electric top variant of the 7 SeriesCredit: Mike Mareen \u2013 stock.adobe.com<\/p>\n

The IRS, however, views the free rides as income. The most popular rides for the City Council in the government-issued vehicle category are the BMW i3 sedan. Yup. A BMW. For less-flashy Council members, say perhaps Democratic Socialists of America-backed candidates, there is a less-luxury option: the Chevrolet Bolt. The cars are part of the City of Los Angeles implementation of an Electric Vehicle Master Plan that will transition over 10,000 municipal vehicles to a zero-carbon fleet by 2035.<\/p>\n

City Council Races to Watch<\/p>\n

The 2026 Los Angeles City Council elections, scheduled for a June 2 primary and NOV. 3 general election, will decide eight of 15 seats in odd-numbered districts 1, 3, 5, 7, 9, 11, 13 and 15<\/p>\n

\"Los\"LosCredit: FiledIMAGE via AdobeStock<\/p>\n

District 1<\/p>\n

Glassell Park, Highland Park, Mt. Washington<\/p>\n

Embattled incumbent Eunisses Hernandez faces three challengers: nonprofit leader Maria Lou Calanche, business consultant Nelson Grande, housing activist Raul Claros and small business owner Sylvia Robledo.<\/p>\n

District 2<\/p>\n

North Hollywood, Studio City, Valley Village<\/p>\n

Adrin Nazarian (even-numbered district)<\/p>\n

District 3<\/p>\n

Canoga Park, Reseda, Tarzana, Woodland Hills<\/p>\n

Incumbent Bob Blumenfield is terming out of office. Three candidates are vying for his seat: business owner Tim Gaspar; Barri Worth Girvan, a constituent services employee for L.A. County Supervisor\u2019s Office; and Christopher \u201cC.R.\u201d Celona, who works in tech and entertainment.<\/p>\n

District 4<\/p>\n

Los Feliz, Silver Lake, Sherman Oaks\u00a0<\/p>\n

Nithya Raman (even-numbered district) currently running for mayor.<\/p>\n

District 5<\/p>\n

Westwood, Bel Air, Fairfax, Palms<\/p>\n

Incumbent Katy Yaroslavsky faces two challengers: Henry Mantel, a political consultant; and accountant Morgan Oyler.<\/p>\n

District 6<\/p>\n

Arleta, Lake Balboa, North Hills East, North Hollywood, Panorama City, Sun Valley, Van Nuys<\/p>\n

Imelda Padilla (even-numbered district)<\/p>\n

District 7<\/p>\n

Sylmar, Pacoima, Lake View Terrace, Sunland-Tujunga, Mission Hills, North Hills and Shadow Hills<\/p>\n

Monica Rodriguez has no challengers.<\/p>\n

District 8<\/p>\n

South Los Angeles, Baldwin Hills, Crenshaw, Jefferson Park<\/p>\n

Marqueece Harris-Dawson (even-numbered district)<\/p>\n

District 9<\/p>\n

South Central, USC and areas in Downtown that include L.A. Live and the Convention Center<\/p>\n

Curren Price, who is facing trial on a dozen corruption charges this year, is termed out after 12 years in office. There are six contenders: Price staffer Jose Ugarte; community organizer Estuardo Mazariegos; education expert Elmer Roldan; nonprofit head Jorge Nu\u00f1o; college professor and therapist Martha Sanchez; and teacher Jorge Hernandez Rosas. This is the first time no Black candidate in this historically Black district has run in 60+ years.<\/p>\n

District 10<\/p>\n

Koreatown, Mid-City, West Adams, Arlington Heights, Palms, South Robertson, Olympic Park, Leimert Park, Baldwin Hills\/Crenshaw, Jefferson Park, Wilshire Center<\/p>\n

Heather Hutt (even-numbered district)<\/p>\n

District 11<\/p>\n

Venice, Pacific Palisades, Playa del Rey, Brentwood, Mar Vista, Sawtelle, Westchester<\/p>\n

Incumbent Traci Park faces off against Democratic Socialists of America-endorsed candidate and lawyer Faizah Malik.<\/p>\n

District 12<\/p>\n

Chatsworth, Granada Hills, North Hills, Northridge, Porter Ranch, Sherwood Forest, West Hills<\/p>\n

John Lee (even-numbered district)<\/p>\n

District 13<\/p>\n

Echo Park, Silver Lake, North Hollywood, East Hollywood<\/p>\n

Hugo Soto-Mart\u00ednez has three challengers: his neighbor and housing activist Colter Carlisle; artist and activist Dylan Kendall; and urban community planner Rich Sarian.<\/p>\n

District 14<\/p>\n

Eagle Rock, Highland Park, El Sereno, Lincoln Heights, Glassell Park, Garvanza, Montecito Heights, Hermon<\/p>\n

Ysabel J. Jurado (even-numbered district)<\/p>\n

District 15<\/p>\n

San Pedro, Wilmington, Harbor City, Harbor Gateway, Watts<\/p>\n

Incumbent Tim McOsker faces 22-year-old challenger Jordan Rivers.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"In late April \u2014 long before the abuse of dogs on L.A.\u2019s Skid Row made national headlines \u2014…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":334511,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[27],"tags":[1610,4752,135740,48,52,51,47,50,49,80054,34395],"class_list":["post-334510","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-los-angeles","tag-city-council","tag-city-hall","tag-june-2026","tag-la","tag-la-headlines","tag-la-news","tag-los-angeles","tag-los-angeles-headlines","tag-los-angeles-news","tag-nithya-raman","tag-rebecca-corry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/334510","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=334510"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/334510\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/334511"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=334510"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=334510"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=334510"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}