2026 CANDIDATE SURVEY
Bryant Acosta
Candidate for Los Angeles City Mayor
To help foster greater discussion about reforming City Hall, we asked City of LA candidates to participate in a six question survey. Half of the questions seek general feedback, and the rest are issue specific.
Please note survey responses, candidate information, and website links are provided for informational/educational purposes only. Fair Rep LA is presenting these responses as submitted without edit, evaluation, or commentary. Fair Rep LA does not endorse, support, or oppose candidates or their responses in any way.
Survey Info:
-
Answers: Respondents were told that questions could be answered in 1-2 sentences, and that while additional context was welcome, the form had a 1,250 character limit for each question (approximately 200 words).
-
Resource Document: Additional background information was provided via a resource document.
-
Participation: Surveys were sent to all City of LA candidates qualified to appear on the ballot. This is a very busy time for candidates, so we appreciate everyone who made time to respond. Please avoid reading too much into a candidate’s lack of participation. We respect the limited bandwidth campaigns have, and it's possible that our request(s) may have been lost in their inbox.
-
Background: The City of Los Angeles is undergoing the first comprehensive review of our city’s governance structure in 27 years. The Charter Reform Commission recently transmitted a report containing over 60 recommendations to the City Council, who will soon be deciding what will be sent to the November ballot for potential approval by voters.
Ethics and anti-corruption reforms
Better government and accountability measures
Modernizing budgeting and infrastructure oversight
Faster and more efficient city operations
Increased transparency and public access to city data
Stronger neighborhood council and community participation systems
Modernizing city technology and digital civic engagement
Clearer accountability standards for elected officials and departments
While I support many of the Charter Reform Commission’s recommendations around transparency and accountability, I do have concerns about reforms that could unintentionally create overlapping commissions, add unnecessary bureaucracy, or make City Hall slower and more difficult for residents to navigate.
I also believe any major structural changes should come with clear accountability standards, measurable outcomes, and a demonstrated public benefit. Reform should improve execution and restore trust in government — not create more layers of process without delivering better results for Angelenos.
Yes. One area I believe deserves much more attention is modernization, transparency, and independent accountability within city government. Los Angeles should explore charter reforms that require greater real-time transparency around city spending, infrastructure projects, permits, and departmental performance through modern digital tools and public dashboards.
I also believe the city should strengthen protections and reporting pathways for whistleblowers and explore the use of more independent auditing systems to help identify waste, corruption, inefficiency, and stalled projects before problems grow larger.
My LA NOW App proposal supports many of these goals by creating a modern civic platform where residents can track city performance, access public information more easily, report local issues, and engage more directly with government in real time. I believe civic engagement should become part of everyday life, not something people only interact with during elections or moments of crisis. Technology can help make participation, transparency, and accountability far more accessible to everyday Angelenos.
I understand the reasoning behind expanding the City Council, especially as Los Angeles has grown significantly in population and complexity over the years. Residents deserve representation that feels accessible and responsive.
That said, I believe any expansion should be carefully evaluated through the lens of efficiency, accountability, cost, and measurable public benefit. Simply increasing the number of districts will not automatically fix the deeper execution and trust issues many residents have with City Hall.
Before committing to a specific number, I would want to see a clear implementation plan that explains how expansion would improve responsiveness, reduce bottlenecks, strengthen constituent services, and avoid creating additional bureaucracy or fragmentation.
I also believe modernization should happen alongside any structural reform. Technology and civic engagement tools — including platforms like my LA NOW App proposal — can help make local government more accessible, transparent, and interactive regardless of district size.
Ultimately, my focus is less on the exact number of council districts and more on building a city government that is accountable, responsive, transparent, and capable of delivering results.
I’m open to Ranked Choice Voting and appreciate that it could encourage broader participation, reduce costly runoff elections, and give voters more flexibility in crowded races. I also think any voting reform should come with strong voter education and language accessibility so the system remains easy to understand and accessible to all Angelenos.
I appreciate the intention behind expanding civic participation and encouraging younger people to become more engaged in local government. Young people are directly impacted by decisions around education, transportation, public safety, housing, and the future of our city.
That said, I believe this is a conversation that deserves broader public input and careful consideration before implementation. Any change to voting eligibility should come with strong civic education efforts and a clear plan to ensure young voters feel informed and empowered to participate meaningfully.
More broadly, I think we should focus on creating a culture where civic engagement becomes part of everyday life earlier on — through education, technology, and better access to local government — so the next generation feels connected to shaping the future of Los Angeles.