Madrid Has 57 Councilmembers. Seoul Has 110. Why Does L.A. Have 15?
More Mayoral Authority Won't Empower California Cities; Electing More of Your Neighbors to Local Posts Will
If you want to make your California city government stronger, don’t make your mayor more powerful. Instead, make your city council bigger.
This summer, two of our state’s most thoughtful mayors, Sam Liccardo of San Jose and Darrell Steinberg of Sacramento, have been seeking to make themselves “strong mayors.” The term refers to a system where mayors have executive authority, and can hire and fire department heads, sign budgets, or even veto council legislation.
“Strong mayors” are rare in California; only five of our 482 incorporated cities have them. More …
