President of the Los Angeles City Council

President of the
Los Angeles City Council
Seal of Los Angeles.svg
Flag of Los Angeles, California.svg
LA City Council President Nury Martinez (cropped).jpg
Incumbent
Nury Martinez
from the 6th district

since January 5, 2020
Member ofLos Angeles City Council
AppointerElected by members of the City Council
Inaugural holderBoyle Workman
Formation1919
DeputyMitch O'Farrell
(as President Pro Tempore)
WebsiteCity Council

The president of the Los Angeles City Council is the presiding officer of the Los Angeles City Council. The president presides over meetings of the council and assignments to City Council committees and handles parliamentary duties like ruling motions in or out of order. The president automatically becomes an 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 until 2020. Normally this meeting is called to order by the City Clerk for the election of the president, after which a president pro tempore is chosen.

The current president is Democrat Nury Martinez from the 6th district. She was unanimously elected by the city councilmembers on January 5, 2020. She is the first Latina and the third woman to serve as council president.

History

Early history

The office of the President was created with the introduction of the Los Angeles Common Council in 1850, with one of the members of the Council serving as the President. During the time, the council governed the city and had the responsibility of governing the school system as several members were appointed to serve on a committee for the governance of schools. The first president of the Common Council was pioneer David W. Alexander, who was elected in 1850 before resigning a year later. In 1889, the Los Angeles City Council was created under the first city charter, though the office stayed relatively the same.

New city charter

In 1965, the job of President Pro Tempore was created to preside during the absence of the President, with the first officer being councilman Thomas D. Shepard. Shepard presided when L. E. Timberlake became acting mayor due to mayor Sam Yorty traveling outside the country. The assistant pro tempore was created in 1977 with councilman Ernani Bernardi as the officer, who presided over meeting if both the President and the President Pro Tempore are out.

Councilman John Ferraro is the longest serving president, serving for 20 years in two terms. The first woman to be elected as the City Council president was Pat Russell, who held the title until 1987 when she was defeated in the City Council elections. The first Latino elected was Alex Padilla in 2001 after defeating incumbent Ruth Galanter; he served as acting mayor days after the 9/11 attacks as mayor James Hahn traveled out of the city. The first African-American president was Herb Wesson, who was elected in 2012 and served until 2020. Nury Martinez is the current president and the first Latina president.

Responsibilities

Mitch O'Farrell (13th district) has been the President Pro Tempore since September 28, 2021.

The responsibilities of the President of the Los Angeles City Council include:

  • presiding over meetings of the council.
  • giving assignments to City Council committees.
  • handling parliamentary duties like ruling motions in or out of order.
  • serving as an acting mayor for the Mayor of Los Angeles if the office is vacant.

List of presidents (1919–present)

No. Portrait Officeholder Tenure start Tenure end Pro Tem. Assistant Pro Tem. Mayor
1 Andrew Boyle Workman-c1925.jpg Boyle Workman July 7, 1919 July 5, 1921 Office did not exist Office did not exist Meredith P. Snyder
2 Ralph Luther Criswell, 1927.jpg Ralph Luther Criswell July 5, 1921 July 1, 1923 George E. Cryer
3 Andrew Boyle Workman-c1925.jpg Boyle Workman July 1, 1923 June 30, 1925
July 1, 1925 June 30, 1927
4 William G. Bonelli, California State Department of Professional and Vocational Standards director, 1935.jpg William G. Bonelli July 1, 1927 June 30, 1929
5 Winfred J. Sanborn, 1928.jpg Winfred J. Sanborn July 1, 1929 June 30, 1931 John Clinton Porter
6 CharlesHiramRandall.jpg Charles Hiram Randall July 1, 1931 June 30, 1933
7 Howard W. Davis, 1938.jpg Howard W. Davis July 1, 1933 June 30, 1935 Frank L. Shaw
8 Robert L. Burns, 1935.jpg Robert L. Burns July 1, 1935 June 30, 1937
July 1, 1937 June 30, 1939
July 1, 1939 June 30, 1941 Fletcher Bowron
9 G. Vernon Bennett, 1935.jpg G. Vernon Bennett July 1, 1941 June 30, 1943
10 Robert L. Burns, 1935.jpg Robert L. Burns July 1, 1943 June 30, 1945
11 George Moore, 1946.jpg George H. Moore July 1, 1945 June 30, 1947
12 Harold A. Henry, 1947.jpg Harold A. Henry July 1, 1947 June 30, 1949
July 1, 1949 June 30, 1951
July 1, 1951 June 30, 1953
13
John S. Gibson Jr. during Negro History Week resolution, 1958.jpg
John S. Gibson Jr. July 1, 1953 June 30, 1955 Norris Poulson
July 1, 1955 June 30, 1957
July 1, 1957 June 30, 1959
July 1, 1959 June 30, 1961
14 Harold A. Henry, 1947.jpg Harold A. Henry July 1, 1961 June 30, 1963 Sam Yorty
15 L. E. Timberlake, 1949.jpg L. E. Timberlake July 1, 1963 June 30, 1965
July 1, 1965 June 30, 1967 Thomas D. Shepard
July 1, 1967 June 30, 1969 John S. Gibson Jr.
16 John S. Gibson Jr., 1972.jpg John S. Gibson Jr. July 1, 1969 June 30, 1971 Billy G. Mills
July 1, 1971 June 30, 1973
July 1, 1973 June 30, 1975 Robert Stevenson Tom Bradley
July 1, 1975 June 30, 1977 John Ferraro
17 John Ferarro, 1956.jpg John Ferraro July 1, 1977 June 30, 1979 Joel Wachs Ernani Bernardi
July 1, 1979 June 30, 1981
18 Joel Wachs, 1972.jpg Joel Wachs July 1, 1981 June 30, 1983 Peggy Stevenson
19 Pat Russell, 1972.jpg Pat Russell July 1, 1983 June 30, 1985
July 1, 1985 June 30, 1987 Joan Milke Flores
20
Hank Aaron receiving honors from City Council members, 1974.jpg
John Ferraro July 1, 1987 June 30, 1989 Marvin Braude
July 1, 1989 June 30, 1991 Joan Milke Flores
July 1, 1991 June 30, 1993
July 1, 1993 June 30, 1995 Richard Alatorre Richard J. Riordan
July 1, 1995 June 30, 1997 Joel Wachs Mike Hernandez
July 1, 1997 June 30, 1999 Ruth Galanter
July 1, 1999 April 17, 2001 Ruth Galanter Rudy Svorinich
21 Ruth Galanter, 2012.png Ruth Galanter April 17, 2001 July 1, 2001 Mark Ridley-Thomas
22 Alex Padilla official.jpg Alex Padilla July 1, 2001 June 30, 2003 Cindy Miscikowski James Hahn
July 1, 2003 June 30, 2005 Cindy Miscikowski Eric Garcetti
July 1, 2005 December 1, 2006 Wendy Greuel Antonio Villaraigosa
23 Eric Garcetti in Suit and Tie (1).jpg Eric Garcetti January 1, 2006 June 30, 2007 Jan Perry
July 1, 2007 June 30, 2009
July 1, 2009 December 22, 2011 Jan Perry Dennis Zine
24 Herb Wesson 2012 (cropped).jpg Herb Wesson January 2, 2012 June 30, 2012 Ed Reyes Tom LaBonge
July 1, 2013 June 30, 2015 Mitchell Englander Jose Huizar Eric Garcetti
July 1, 2015 June 30, 2017
July 1, 2017 January 5, 2020 Nury Martinez Joe Buscaino
25 LA City Council President Nury Martinez (cropped).jpg Nury Martinez January 5, 2020 December 15, 2020 Joe Buscaino David Ryu
January 5, 2021 Incumbent Mitch O'Farrell Vacant

This page was last updated at 2022-07-14 04:05 UTC. Update now. View original page.

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