LA on the Record — Welcome to the City Hall newsletter. David Zahniser brings you what happened in city politics last week.

Los Angeles City Council member Nitya Raman and deputy city manager. ethan weaver I've attended several candidate forums over the past few months. But Wednesday's showdown, hosted by the Sherman Oaks Homeowners Association, had a special edge.

Seated in front of a crowd inside a San Fernando Valley senior center, candidates for the March 5 election tangled over homelessness, police enforcement and other hot-button issues. They were subjected to a rapid-fire barrage of questions, including lightning bolts. And he revealed that the battle for the 4th District, which straddles the Hollywood Hills, will become even more intense in the coming weeks.

Weaver, who worked as a neighborhood prosecutor for five years, described city government as dysfunctional, disorganized and a mess. The city government has ignored residents' “legitimate concerns” and left basic services inadequate.

“As someone who works with just about every city government, I can tell you the view from inside is even worse,” said Weaver, who lives in Hollywood. “Our city is failing on every level.”

Raman defended her record, saying her office has made progress on installing more traffic lights, improving playgrounds and housing the homeless throughout the district, which stretches from Silver Lake to Reseda. She rattled around Studio City, Sherman Oaks, and other places where there were once encampments but now there are no tents.

“We've made progress in this neighborhood while other neighborhoods have gone backwards. There's a reason for that,” said Raman, a Silver Lake resident. “That’s because our office and team have worked hard every day.”

Third candidate, Software Engineer Levon “Lev” BaronianMore than 250 people attended and did not participate in the debate, which was attended by 400 viewers via Zoom, according to event organizers.

of video recorded discussionhosted by a TV journalist phil shuman, which featured other policy disagreements.Weaver spoke out in support of the mayor. Karen Bass” and agreed to give officers a four-year pay package, saying the raises will help the LAPD deal with a steady decline in its workforce.

Last month, the Los Angeles Police Department reported the number of officers was 8,970, down about 800 from December 2020, when Raman took office.

Weaver said police contracts are “a critical part of retaining police officers and attracting police officers, and my opponent voted against that pay increase.” 9,000 officers.

Raman said he voted against last year's price increase because he thought it was too high and would cut into other important services. The agreement has been identified as the cause of the city's growing budget shortfall and has not helped with police hiring, she said.

“Our last recruiting class is one of LAPD's smallest classes ever – just 22 people,” she told the audience.

Mr. Schumann asked the candidates whether they would support re-election for the district. Atty. Georges Gasconwill compete against 11 challengers for a second term.

“Absolutely not,” Weaver said.

Mr. Raman told the audience that he did not support Mr. Gascón. A few days later, she was asked to elaborate, and she said she had not yet decided how she would vote in the contest.

Candidates also challenged Section 41.18 of the city ordinance, which prohibits the establishment of homeless encampments in certain “sensitive” locations. Weaver reiterated his support for the law, which includes a provision banning tents from being pitched within 500 feet of a school or day care center.

Raman said he supports portions of 41.18, but the newly added ordinances, such as the one that would allow the Legislature to create a 500-foot buffer zone around libraries, senior centers and other locations, are simply They argued that it would only push homeless people out onto the streets.

Banning tents around schools and day care centers is “ineffective,” Raman added. “Just because a tent is 500 feet away from a school doesn't mean kids will be safe.”

Expect more interactions in the coming weeks.Hosted by the Next Candidate Forum Los Feliz Improvement Assn., is scheduled to open Thursday at the Autry Museum of the American West. All three candidates are expected to attend.

State of play

— DUI plea: state legislator Wendy CarrilloThe man, who is running for an East Side seat on the Los Angeles City Council, pleaded no contest Friday to a misdemeanor charge of driving under the influence. Deputy city official. Adam Micale agreed to drop a second-offense driving with a blood alcohol level of 0.08% or higher charge. As part of his plea, Carrillo will participate in a three-month driving under the influence program and his driver's license will be restricted.

— Santiago Ad Drop: One of Carrillo's rivals in the March 5 election, Rep. miguel santiagoreleased its first campaign ad. 30 second video It includes footage of state lawmakers walking past a homeless encampment and talking to construction workers.Featuring a gorgeous drone shot of City Hall, the ad says Santiago will bring “real change” to LA.

— de Leon Tustle: Another candidate for the 14th Ward election, City Council member kevin de leonaiming for Sitiati. heidi feldstein sotoAccording to the newspaper, he accused him of using his position politically. politiko. Mr. de Leon criticized Mr. Feldstein Soto's handling of the activists who disrupted the event, noting that he had each donated $900 to the city council efforts of his opponents, Mr. Carrillo and Mr. Santiago. Feldstein-Soto has not commented on the matter.

— cash out: The Times investigated bribery offers by landlords to get tenants to leave their apartments. This is a phenomenon known as “key-to-cash.”Data published by city administrator Kenneth Mejia's office reported that nearly 5,000 such agreements were filed with the city from 2019 to 2023.

— Principal Investigator: Police Commission, civilian oversight committee appointed by the Mayor Karen Basshas begun a search for an interim chief to oversee the Los Angeles Police Department.Los Angeles Police Chief Michelle Moore He is scheduled to retire at the end of February.

— Street PeopleStreets for All, an advocacy group that has advocated for reducing traffic fatalities and expanding bus and bicycle lanes, released the following statement: Candidate nomination round this week.The organization supports the former ethics committee chairman. Serena Oberstein In the race for a city council seat john lee In the northwestern San Fernando Valley, Raman is running for a second term in the Hollywood Hills neighborhood and is a city councilman. marquise harris dawson's Running for a third term in South Los Angeles.

— CD10 Forum: Four candidates in the 10th District race are scheduled to attend the forum. Neighborhood Council Sustainability Alliance, focuses on steps cities can take to combat climate change.pastor eddie andersonMember of Parliament Reggie Jones-Sawyerformer city commissioner Aura Vasquez and a lawyer grace yu is scheduled to appear. The group will also host a conversation with Oberstein, who is running to unseat Lee in the Northwest Valley.

quick hit

• Where is Inside Safe? Bass' signature program to move unhoused people indoors returned to Hollywood this week, focusing on Cahuenga Boulevard at the 101 Freeway. That was the location where the first Inside Safe operation took place in December 2022.

• Next week's record: City Council budget committee meeting scheduled see you on wednesday We discuss LA's financial outlook and how to make ends meet while responding to raises for various civil servants.