Los Angeles Metropolis Councilmember Marqueece Harris-Dawson gained his bid for the council’s high management publish on Tuesday, saying he intends to make use of the presidency to focus closely on homelessness.
The council voted 14 to 0 to pick Harris-Dawson to switch Paul Krekorian, who has held the place since October 2022, after the audio leak scandal that spurred the resignation of Council President Nury Martinez.
Harris-Dawson, 54, is slated to take over the presidency on Sept. 20. After Tuesday’s vote, he mentioned homelessness could be the council’s “No. 1, 2 and 3” points beneath his management.
“There’s no issue more important than the tens of thousands of people sleeping in the street every night, so we need to zero in on that as much as possible,” he mentioned. “I don’t think there any other business that supersedes that for the council.”
Krekorian, who should go away metropolis workplace on the finish of the yr on account of time period limits, is ready to proceed as president for the following 4 months. Councilmember Monica Rodriguez was absent from Tuesday’s vote.
Harris-Dawson, first elected in 2015, represents a South Los Angeles district that consists of all or a portion of Baldwin Hills, Hyde Park, Park Mesa Heights and a number of other different neighborhoods.
As president, he can have the facility to find out the make-up of council committees coping with public security, homelessness, the town funds and plenty of different high-profile points. A detailed ally of Mayor Karen Bass, he’ll in all probability set the tone for the council’s relationship with the mayor, who has been targeted on transferring unhoused Angelenos into accommodations, motels and different kinds of non permanent housing.
Harris-Dawson instructed The Instances this month that he had spoken with every of his colleagues about what they need in a president. On Tuesday, whereas fielding questions from reporters, he declined to say whether or not he had requested Councilmember Kevin de León, a significant determine within the 2022 audio scandal, to assist his bid for the management publish.
“I’m happy that it was a unanimous vote,” Harris-Dawson mentioned.
Harris-Dawson had sought De León’s resignation practically two years in the past after The Instances reported that De León, Martinez, then-Councilmember Gil Cedillo and a high-profile labor chief took half in a secretly recorded dialog that featured racist and derogatory remarks. De León has issued a number of apologies since then, saying he’s sorry for what he did and didn’t say throughout the assembly.
De León voted for Harris-Dawson on Tuesday. In an interview final week, he mentioned Harris-Dawson had spoken with him in regards to the presidency — and did search his assist.
“I think we had a good discussion on a whole variety of issues that impact the city,” De León mentioned.
Harris-Dawson will take over the council’s management publish in a yr when metropolis leaders have been working to erase a significant funds shortfall. Final week, council members voted to get rid of about 1,700 vacant positions in an effort to rein in spending.
Metropolis leaders even have begun preparations for the 2028 Olympic Video games. Within the coming months, the council will determine whether or not to push forward with an costly modernization of the town’s Conference Middle within the run-up to the Video games.
Harris-Dawson instructed his colleagues that he can have extra to say about his plans as soon as he has assumed his publish.
“Until September, expect to see me with my head down, studying as hard as we can so we can be as prepared as possible when we take leadership of this council,” he mentioned.
