By Ray Richardson
Contributing Author
LOS ANGELES — Marqueece Harris-Dawson’s regular climb within the Los Angeles political panorama takes one other step Sept. 20 when the Eighth District Metropolis Council member is sworn in because the twenty seventh Metropolis Council president.
The mild-mannered, South L.A. native is seen because the “proper particular person on the proper time” by some to take over a Metropolis Council hoping to maneuver previous a current turbulent interval of indictments, ethics violations and questionable conduct.
“Marqueece has the flexibility to see issues from totally different views … from a progressive perspective and a reasonable perspective,” former Los Angeles Metropolis Council President Herb Wesson mentioned of Harris-Dawson. “He’s had expertise in all of these areas. His expertise will present.”
Harris-Dawson, who turns 55 on Nov. 7, was elected to a 3rd and last group within the Eighth District within the March main. He earned unanimous assist within the spring amongst fellow council members to succeed outgoing Council President Paul Krekorian and lead town’s governing physique into a brand new period.
“Marqueece will likely be a superb president,” Ninth District Councilman Curren Value mentioned of Harris-Dawson. “He’s been in workplace lengthy sufficient to be in tune with the council and the neighborhood. I’ve pledged my full assist to him. He is aware of we’re on this collectively.”
Harris-Dawson will face lots of the similar challenges as his predecessor. On the high of the checklist is the homeless disaster, public security, reasonably priced housing and monetary points, together with crucial funds selections for the Los Angeles Police Division. Mayor Karen Bass has been advocating for extra law enforcement officials since she was elected in 2022.
Harris-Dawson’s long-term friendship with Bass will likely be an important asset for the Metropolis Council when the governing physique wants cooperation from the Mayor’s Workplace on funds issues, decision-making insurance policies and different points requiring a unified response.
Bass and Harris-Dawson labored collectively for 10 years at Group Coalition, a nonprofit group based by Bass in 1990 that gives companies for South L.A. residents. Bass handed over the function of president and chief government officer to Harris-Dawson in 2004 when she was elected to the state Meeting.
“That is the perfect state of affairs for the Metropolis Council,” Wesson mentioned of the friendship between Bass and Harris-Dawson. “When issues come up, they are often brutally trustworthy with and nonetheless have respect for one another. These sorts of relationships between a Metropolis Council and the mayor’s workplace are uncommon. I’m excited for the long run.”
Collaboration between the Metropolis Council and Mayor’s Workplace will likely be essential with a number of main occasions coming to Los Angeles inside the subsequent 4 years, together with the FIBA World Soccer Cup in 2026, the NFL Tremendous Bowl in 2027 and the Summer season Olympics in 2028.
Harris-Dawson’s ascension to Metropolis Council president is producing optimistic suggestions amongst neighborhood leaders representing residents within the Eighth, Ninth and tenth Districts – areas that embody a large share of individuals of coloration in Los Angeles.
Residents within the districts will possible be paying nearer consideration to developments in Metropolis Corridor with Harris-Dawson main the Metropolis Council.
“Harris-Dawson might be some of the progressive people and connectors of sources on the Metropolis Council,” mentioned Robert Sausedo, president and CEO of Group Construct Inc., a nonprofit service group in South L.A. “He operates at a really excessive stage of integrity, and he makes positive that integrity displays on how he does enterprise. Having somebody regarded in that manner is necessary.”
When Harris-Dawson turns into president, he’ll relinquish his function as chairperson of three committees — Planning and Land Use Administration; Guidelines, Elections and Intergovernmental Relations and Finances, Finance and Innovation.
A spokesperson for Harris-Dawson mentioned he has not selected which council members he’ll appoint to interchange him on these committees.
“I’m humbled and proud on the similar time,” Harris-Dawson informed The Wave final Could after being chosen to interchange Krekorian my his colleagues. “I received a way of the assist once I talked to individuals in current weeks. I used to be actually proud of the conversations I had.”
“Councilman Harris-Dawson has a protracted historical past in Metropolis Corridor and past of bringing individuals collectively from all backgrounds and throughout all sectors,” Bass mentioned in a press release on the time. “I sit up for persevering with locking arms with council management to convey extra unhoused Angelenos inside and make Los Angeles safer for all.”
Krekorian closed his last assembly as chief of the council Sept. 18 after receiving phrases of reward and a standing ovation from his colleagues.
“I couldn’t do the work for the following 79 days and I couldn’t do the work as council president, and I couldn’t have finished the work as an Meeting member or anything with out the assist, steerage and love that I’ve obtained from my spouse, Tamar, for the final quarter of the century virtually,” Krekorian mentioned.
The councilman additionally prolonged gratitude to his workers. He added that while you change into council president “you may have much more stuff for workers to do, and also you don’t get any additional workers.”
“To all my workers, I hope you observed that quite a lot of members of this council particularly acknowledged you and that’s since you do extraordinary work — not just for me, our constituents, however for your entire metropolis of Los Angeles,” Krekorian mentioned.
Mayor Bass joined the council to acknowledge Krekorian as effectively.
“President Krekorian assumed the council presidency throughout some of the tumultuous occasions in LA.’s civic historical past — however his unshakeable resolve and clear imaginative and prescient for the long run turned chaos into progress and moved the individuals’s enterprise ahead,” Bass mentioned. “He will likely be remembered as some of the consequential leaders and public servants that town of Los Angeles has ever recognized — not only for his management as council president, however for his work as Meeting member, as councilman, and for the work I do know he’ll proceed to do within the coming months and years.
“On behalf of Los Angeles, thanks Council President Krekorian on your excellent contributions to Los Angeles and thanks for all you’ll proceed to do,” she added.
Ray Richardson is a contributing author for The Wave. He will be reached at rayrich55@gmail.com.
Source link
