Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Governance City Leadership topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Alex Padilla Elected President of Los Angeles City Council; Mark Ridley-Thomas Chosen President Pro Tem
Summary
The City Council elected Councilmember Alex Padilla as council president during the July 3 meeting and named Mark Ridley-Thomas president pro tempore. The moves were accompanied by brief statements from candidates about priorities and the council agreed to a short recess to reconfigure voting systems.
Alex Padilla was elected president of the Los Angeles City Council on July 3, following an oral roll-call election held at City Hall.
The election came after a motion to allow nominees five minutes each to address the council and the public; the council voted to proceed with that format before hearing candidates’ remarks. Several councilmembers addressed the body during the process, and Padilla thanked colleagues after the vote. The council then elected Mark Ridley-Thomas as president pro tempore.
Why it matters: The council president sets committee processes and plays a central role in organizing council business. Candidates pledged to help new members acclimate and to work on issues such as committee assignment, neighborhood council engagement and economic development.
In remarks before the vote, several members described turnover on the council and said the coming two years would require focus on onboarding newer councilmembers. Ruth Galanter urged a stronger orientation for new members. Jan Perry and others emphasized economic development and outreach to communities. After the votes, President Padilla thanked colleagues and said he would rely on his staff and the council to maintain services.
The council recessed briefly to reconfigure its voting system to reflect the newly elected leadership before continuing the agenda.
Votes and formal actions: The transcript records the roll call and the announcement that Padilla is the new council president. The transcript excerpt does not include a single consolidated numeric roll-tally for the final president vote; records in the meeting show the council reached the required majority and Padilla was declared elected. The council thereafter completed a roll call to elect the president pro tempore and announced Mark Ridley-Thomas as the new president pro tem.
Speakers who addressed the council during the nominations and acceptance remarks included candidates and multiple councilmembers who spoke in support or asked procedural questions. The proceedings followed standard council practice for electing officers.
