LA youth council and city officials urge council to preserve Youth Development Department as consolidation is reviewed

Councilmember Monica Rodriguez introduced members of the Olivia Mitchell Youth Council and Youth Development Department leaders during a presentation at the Aug. 8 Los Angeles City Council meeting, where youth leaders and department staff asked the council not to consolidate the Youth Development Department (YDD).

Jerry Yang, president of the LA City Youth Council, told the council the youth body had run a citywide Youth Summit and an expo this year and warned that “the youth development department is under review for consolidation,” a change he said the city’s young people “do not want.” Yang said YDD has given young people training, access to city departments and connections to college- and career-oriented programs and called on council members to “make the right choice.”

Lisa Salazar, general manager of the Youth Development Department, described the department’s work supporting cohorts of young leaders across every council district, three annual youth summits run with USC Sol Price School of Public Policy, and a new financial-literacy app developed from the council-led program. “Working with and supporting young people as they navigate their way to adulthood takes focused intentionality,” Salazar said, and praised councilmember Rodriguez for sustained advocacy.

Councilmember Rodriguez framed the request in budgetary and program terms, saying YDD’s work is an investment in the city’s future and noting an estimated figure for continued support: “for a nominal investment of just about 1 and a half million dollars, we can go ahead and continue that work,” she said. Rodriguez and multiple councilmembers, as well as USC Sol Price leaders who addressed the chamber, highlighted the department’s partnerships and the cohort-based training that places youth into neighborhood councils and other civic bodies.

USC representatives and faculty who partnered on the summits described the program as a mechanism to bring students from across the city together for policy research and civic skills training. Dr. Christopher Boone, dean of USC Sol Price School, and faculty lead Professor Levana Lewis thanked the city for its partnership and encouraged continued funding and campus engagement.

No formal vote on the YDD’s status or funding was recorded during the meeting. Councilmembers and speakers emphasized that a decision about consolidation would have to be made through the council’s budget and committee processes. The youth council members and department staff asked council offices to preserve YDD’s programs and maintain the partnerships that support student leadership development.