3.9
Million Angelenos
(2020 Census)
265K
Average # of
Angelenos per Councilmember
15
City Council Districts
(Est. 1925)
6X
Population Growth since 1925
0
New Council Districts since 1925
EQUITABLE AND RESPONSIVE REPRESENTATION FOR LOS ANGELES
Following the 2020 census, Los Angeles underwent a City Council redistricting process led by an appointed commission. Throughout redistricting, local organizations worked to empower public participation in the process and to uplift the needs of LA's communities. As it became clear that Angelenos in the future would be better served by an Independent Redistricting Commission as well as the expansion of City Council, many of these local advocacy groups united in October 2021 to create the Fair Rep LA Coalition.
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During 2021 redistricting, sitting Councilmembers exerted undue influence by repeatedly reappointing commissioners late into the process and making significant changes to recommended district boundaries before approving the final map. Partially as a result of these last-minute unilateral changes, public trust in the process of hearings and community input was severely damaged.
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A year later, a leaked recording from the 2021 redistricting process revealed that several Councilmembers discussed manipulating district lines to consolidate their own political power by actively dividing communities to dilute their voting power. During the leaked conversation, these Councilmembers were also shamelessly racist and derogatory towards their colleagues and various ethnic groups of Angelenos: blatant in their contempt for City constituents.
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Angelenos deserve better.
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The Fair Rep LA coalition aims to educate the public while advocating for local good government reforms, including the establishment of an Independent Redistricting Commission coupled with City Council expansion. Our goal at Fair Rep LA is to empower Angelenos to knowledgeably participate in public hearings and discussions with their neighbors about their representational needs and concerns — reclaiming power for the people.
CITY CHARTER REFORM
As the leaked recording of disgraced Los Angeles Councilmembers made national news, Angelenos became more vocal in their demands for representative, trustworthy, and equitable government. In late 2022, LA's City Council formed the Ad Hoc Committee on City Governance Reform, and tasked the Chief Legal Analyst (CLA) to create a report on options for a future ballot measure, including considerations for City Council expansion and the creation of an Independent Redistricting Commission.
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Released March 10th, 2023, the CLA's Report also provides a potential charter reform timeline - City Council will have to approve a ballot measure by November 2023 for a vote during the March 2024 Primary Election, or by June 2024 for a vote in the November 2024 General Election. Based on this timeline, the clock is ticking for Councilmembers to engage residents and come up with an amendment for a truly independent redistricting commission free from political manipulation.
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By providing informational materials and by keeping residents informed of upcoming meetings, public hearings and relevant developments, the Fair Rep LA coalition aims to facilitate public engagement in this charter reform process. By making the process more accessible and understandable to the public, we hope to involve community members throughout Los Angeles, ensuring that the future of our city government truly works for and represents the interests of all Angelenos.
ABOUT
FAIR REP LA
Learn more about the Fair Rep LA coalition, including our members and our mission!
As the City grapples with potential charter reform, we are setting out to empower Angelenos with the knowledge necessary to meaningfully participate in public hearings as well as conversations with their neighbors regarding these issues.
Read on for an Overview of this website!
INDEPENDENT REDISTRICTING
An Independent Redistricting Commission would mitigate the ongoing influence of current city officials. Rather than being appointed by individual representatives who have much to gain, commissioners might instead be selected from qualified applicants, either randomly or through selection by a non-partisan City entity, such as the Ethics Commission. A truly Independent Redistricting Commission would also have the authority to approve a final map itself, without any last-minute changes by City Council.
CITY COUNCIL EXPANSION
The size of the Los Angeles City Council has remained fixed at 15 members for the last century, since the population was well under a million residents. Now those same 15 Councilmembers represent the second-largest city in the United States, with a population of nearly 4 million and growing. In order to achieve representation comparable to other large US cities, as well as to strengthen the representation of diverse local communities, we urge Angelenos to consider City Council expansion.
