What is a Neighborhood Council
ABOUT NEIGHBORHOOD COUNCILS
Neighborhood Councils are certified organizations of the City of Los Angeles. We are all-volunteer groups, made up entirely of community members. We are city government at a hyper-local level. We’re here to give back to our neighborhood, and assist in the delivery of City services. Since 2002, Neighborhood Council volunteers have donated thousands of hours towards building better communities all across Los Angeles.
In 1999 Los Angles re-wrote its City Charter, and included the creation of Neighborhood Councils to provide better access to City Government. As of today, there are 99 Neighborhood Councils. More are being planned. A Neighborhood Council Board is made up of volunteers, who live, work, own property, or otherwise express an interest, a “stake,” in the neighborhood. They are elected by the neighborhood, and work with their neighbors to improve, and beautify their part of the City, as well as create a bridge to elected officials.
Each Certified Neighborhood Council (NC) is subject to rules and laws governing the City. The Department of Neighborhood Empowerment (DONE) oversees the Neighborhood Councils. Each Council is given a budget by the City to pay for the expenses of the NC, and to offer small support grants to community LAUSD schools and 501(c)(3) non-profit organizations. Neighborhood Councils may not raise funds. Within the overall requirements of DONE, and the City, Neighborhood Councils have some flexibility about how they accomplish their mandates. Each NC has a different number of Board members, and different ways of representing their communities.
WHAT DO NEIGHBORHOOD COUNCILS DO & HOW ARE THEY FUNDED?
Since Neighborhood Councils hold their meetings in the communities they serve, they are an important avenue for public participation in the City of Los Angeles, and give the members of a community the chance to have input on decisions that affect their quality of life, and the services they receive from the City.
Neighborhood Councils play an advisory role in the Los Angeles municipal government. They gather, vet, debate, and come to a consensus on matters that impact City life and policy, and deliver their official stance on these issues in letters called “Community Impact Statements” (CIS), which are shared with City decision-makers, such as the Mayor, City Council, or City Departments such as City Planning. The Neighborhood Council may also attend meetings of these decision-making officials in person, to advocate for their board’s position on a matter. Neighborhood Councils members take action as a board, and not as individuals, so they do not take an official position without a majority vote first.
Neighborhood Councils receive public funds of about $32,000 each year to support their activities. Each member takes state-mandated training on the ethical management of public funds, and the funds must be allocated by board consensus. The funds may be used to create events and programs that respond to community needs, or spent to advocate for issues that the board cares about such as crime prevention, better roads and streets, safe spaces for children, help for the homeless, arts, or local economic development.
GOVERNING DOCUMENTS OF THE NEIGHBORHOOD COUNCIL SYSTEM
Because Neighborhood Councils are created by the Los Angeles City Charter, they are subject to many of the federal, state and local laws that govern other City departments and government entities. Every Neighborhood Council also has its own set of bylaws and standing (aka procedural) rules they follow, too. In addition, Neighborhood Councils must abide by laws preventing workplace violence, sexual harassment and discrimination.
The laws that apply to all Neighborhood Councils include the following:
Americans with Disabilities Act – A federal law designed to protect the rights of individuals with disabilities. Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) applies to the operations of state and local governments.
Brown Act – The Ralph M. Brown Act is a state law requiring open meetings from government agencies and applies to Neighborhood Council meetings.
Conflict of Interest Laws – Various state and city laws to ensure that government officials are free from bias caused by their own financial interest so they may act in an impartial manner.
Los Angeles City Charter – In 1999, the City Charter established the Neighborhood Council System and the Department of Neighborhood Empowerment which supports the Neighborhood Councils “to promote more citizen participation in government and make government more responsive to local needs…” Charter Section 900.
The Plan for a Citywide System of Neighborhood Councils – This Plan details the workings of the Neighborhood Council system.
Public Records Act – A state law providing the public access to government records. Neighborhood Councils must abide by a strict time line to respond to Public Records Act (PRA) requests.
Various local ordinances have also been enacted to establish the Neighborhood Council system.
Ordinance 172728 – Created the Department of Neighborhood Empowerment following the passage of the City Charter.
Ordinance 176704 (July 17, 2005) – Established regulations to implement the Plan for a Citywide System of Neighborhood Councils.
Ordinance 173184 (April 14, 2000) – Created the Department of Neighborhood Empowerment Fund.
Ordinance 175937 (April 20, 2004) – Transferred the responsibility for leasing and renting office and meeting space for Neighborhood Councils from the Department of General Services to the Department of Neighborhood Empowerment, thereby streamlining the acquisition of space for Neighborhood Councils.
Ordinance 176477 (March 28, 2005) – Exempts Neighborhood Councils from adopting a conflict of interest code and filing the Form 700 financial disclosure statements.
Ordinance 183487 (May 3, 2015) – Neighborhood Council Grievances
Ordinance 186760 (October 16, 2020) – Uniform minimum voting age, a uniform minimum board member age, and an optional youth board seat for Neighborhood Councils.
Ordinance 186761 (October 16, 2020) – Definition of Community Interest Stakeholder for Neighborhood Councils.
