By Councilman Bob Blumenfield
September 20 started a new chapter at City Hall as I took on the role of Council President Pro Tempore and Marqueece Harris-Dawson was sworn in as the new Council President.
I’m grateful to my colleagues for electing me to be part of our council’s leadership team. While we face unprecedented challenges, we need a blend of bold vision and institutional memory to continue making progress on the issues facing our city and weather the storms yet to come.
I thank Councilmember Paul Krekorian for his leadership over the last two years, guiding our City during difficult times and building the foundation for future success. As Council President, Krekorian led our Council with a steady hand in troubled times, and I remain grateful for his leadership and friendship as he nears the end of his service to our body.
Homelessness undoubtedly remains the biggest issue we are continuing to address, but that must not come at the expense of core city services that our residents need. We need to continue to walk and chew gum at the same time. Without COVID emergency funding from the federal government, with increased labor costs and with lower than expected tax revenues, the reality is that we have to do more with less. From fixing potholes, to tree trimming and fixing our infrastructure, we are working creatively with departments to grow our service capacity and deliver for the West Valley and all of Los Angeles even though money is historically tight.
And as I start my final two years on the City Council, my team and I remain as vigilant as ever to get our signature projects done and continue offering the best constituent services possible. Projects like the Reseda Skate Rink, Madrid Theater renovations, and the Caballero Creek Park are well under construction and I’m excited that so many exciting projects will cross the finish line shortly.
As always, we are here to serve you. If you have any questions, please never hesitate to write to me at c03.foryou@lacity.org.
