Los Angeles City Council president
Encyclopedia
This is an incomplete list of presidents of the Los Angeles City Council
. Not only does the officer preside over meetings of the council, but he or she also makes assignments to City Council committees and handles parliamentary duties like ruling motions in or out of order. The president automatically become acting mayor when the mayor is out of the state.
The president is elected at the first meeting of the new council term, beginning on July 1 of every odd-numbered year. Normally this meeting is called to order by the City Clerk for the election of the president, after which a president pro tem is chosen.
Two-year terms beginning on July 1 of the years shown below
Los Angeles City Council
The Los Angeles City Council is the governing body of the City of Los Angeles.The Council is composed of fifteen members elected from single-member districts for four-year terms. The president of the council and the president pro tempore are chosen by the Council at the first regular meeting after...
. Not only does the officer preside over meetings of the council, but he or she also makes assignments to City Council committees and handles parliamentary duties like ruling motions in or out of order. The president automatically become acting mayor when the mayor is out of the state.
The president is elected at the first meeting of the new council term, beginning on July 1 of every odd-numbered year. Normally this meeting is called to order by the City Clerk for the election of the president, after which a president pro tem is chosen.
Next to the mayor, the president and president pro tem of the council are generally considered the most powerful officials in municipal government. The president serves as mayor in the absence of the chief executive [the mayor], and the pro tem fills the top position in the absence of both.
Two-year terms beginning on July 1 of the years shown below
- 1919, 1925 Boyle WorkmanBoyle WorkmanAndrew Boyle Workman was a Los Angeles politician and businessman. He served as President of the Los Angeles City Council and, as such, was acting Mayor on occasion. He was the first city councilman to represent District 4 , under the new charter of 1925...
- 1927 William G. BonelliWilliam G. BonelliWilliam G. Bonelli was a California politician who became a powerful member of the state Board of Equalization and fled to Mexico to avoid arrest on a corruption indictment.-Biography:...
- 1929 Winfred J. SanbornWinfred J. SanbornWinfred Joseph Sanborn. known as Winfred J. Sanborn, was on the Los Angeles City Council under an at-large election system from 1919 until a new city charter was adopted in 1925, when representation was changed to a fifteen-district system. Sanborn served the new Ninth District from 1925 until...
- 1931 Charles RandallCharles Hiram RandallCharles Hiram Randall , known as Charles Randall, was a member of the U.S. Congress, the California State Assembly and the Los Angeles City Council in the 20th Century.-Biography:...
- 1933 Howard W. DavisHoward W. DavisHoward W. Davis was a member of the California State Assembly for two years and of the Los Angeles City Council for 16 years. He was indicted on charges of accepting bribes to influence his actions as a city official but was cleared on one count and never tried on the others, which were...
- 1935–39, 1943 Robert L. BurnsRobert L. BurnsRobert L. Burns was a Los Angeles school board member between 1923 and 1929 and Los Angeles City Council member between 1929 and 1945. He previously was on the school board in Hutchinson, Kansas. At his death in 1955, he was described as Los Angeles's "elder statesman."Robert L...
- 1941 G. Vernon BennettG. Vernon BennettGuy Vernon Bennett , also known as G. Vernon Bennett, was superintendent of schools in Pomona, California; a professor of education at the University of Southern California, and a Los Angeles city councilman from the 10th District from 1935 to 1951...
- 1945 George H. MooreGeorge H. MooreGeorge H. Moore , an attorney and a judge who was active in civic affairs of the Los Angeles Harbor region, was district attorney of San Benito County and a member of the Los Angeles City Council from 1943 to 1951.-Biography:...
- 1947–51, 1961 Harold A. HenryHarold A. HenryNot to be confused with Harold Harby, Los Angeles City Council member 1943–57.Harold A. Henry was a community newspaper publisher who was elected to the Los Angeles City Council in 1945 and was its president for four terms from 1947 to 1962....
- 1953–59, 1969–75 John S. Gibson Jr.
- 1963–67 L.E. Timberlake
- 1977–79, 1987–99 John FerraroJohn FerraroJohn Ferraro was the longest-serving Los Angeles City Council member in the history of the city—thirty-five years, from 1966 until his death in 2001—and the president of the council for fourteen of them...
- 1981 Joel WachsJoel WachsJoel Wachs , was a Los Angeles, California, City Council member for thirty years and a three-time candidate for mayor of that city, who is now the president of the Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts in New York City...
- 1983–85 Pat RussellPat RussellPat Russell was the fourth woman to serve on the Los Angeles, California, City Council and the first woman to be City Council president .-Biography:...
First woman president.
- 2001–05 Alex PadillaAlex PadillaAlejandro "Alex" Padilla is a California State Senator. He was elected as the state senator for California's 20th State Senate district in November 2006 and was inaugurated in early December. Prior to serving in the Senate he served 7½ years on the Los Angeles City Council representing the 7th...
Resigned December 31, 2005.
- 2006–present Eric GarcettiEric GarcettiEric Michael Garcetti is an American municipal politician. He is a member of the Los Angeles City Council. He serves as its President and represents the 13th District. He is the son of the former Los Angeles County District Attorney Gil Garcetti. He is a member of the Democratic Party.-Early...
Took presidency January 1, 2006.