Good morning and welcome to Records LA – City Hall newsletter. It’s Dakota Smith and with the help of David Zanizer and Matt Hamilton, we’ll be providing city and county government updates.
Los Angeles City Council Member Tim Mosker He is launching a nonprofit organization in his port district to pay for basic services, including street lighting and park improvements.
McOsker has told business leaders, lobbyists and others, officially launched Five Fund, which officially launched to “make requests to people in the city” over the next few months. Los Angeles Current Affairs Affairs Forum Lunch last month.
In an interview, Makoscar said the nonprofit could help cover Council 15 services the city can’t do due to the ongoing budget crisis.
Donations received by One Five Fund will be directed to other nonprofit organizations. This said it would do the work, adding that it is important to support these nonprofits as federal grants could disappear under the Trump administration.
McOsker raises five people but according to his office he is not involved in the money allocation.
“They’re not a huge fan of their lives,” said Makoscar, who worked for a nonprofit that linked to the Port of LA before being elected to the council in 2022.
Already, several nonprofits have helped raise private donations to city agencies, including those related to the fire, police and park departments. mayor Karen Base Advisor to the nonprofit Mayor’s Fund, started under then Eric Garcetti and has been launched to pay for a series of programs. The fund’s mission during the Base administration has shifted to fighting the homelessness.
However, nonprofits that enhance their services in city council districts are less common.
CD 11 Foundation run by supporters of city council members Trace Parkfunding infrastructure and public safety in the Westside area of the Park. The foundation’s website features photos of the park, but she is not involved in its funding or operation, her spokesman said. Pete Brown.
Doug Whitea charitable adviser who wrote several books on nonprofits said that one Five Fund’s goals are likely to be worthwhile.
“The question I have is why do cities not do these things in themselves?” he said.
White also expressed concern that McOsker is raising funds for the district without public mandate as to how the money should be spent. In other words, nonprofits (not taxpayers or council members) are prioritizing spending.
As one five fundraiser, McOsker can attack city contract lobbyists and bidders. Under city ethics rules, such sources are prohibited from making contributions to political campaigns or politician office holder accounts.
The city also restricts donors from offering more than $1,000 per election to council members’ campaign or office holder accounts. There are no such restrictions on donations to nonprofit organizations.
However, McOsker must report that he “sought payment” over $5,000 for a single Five Fund.
Sean McMorrisWatchdog Group’s ethics and transparency expert on California’s common cause, said “even if the end result is a benefit to its members.”
“It’s outside the scope of the Campaign Finance Act and is simply left to hope and prayer that the money coming and going to this nonprofit doesn’t create excessive influence on this particular politician,” he said.
If LA has a budget shortage and council districts are bound by cash, McMorris said politicians need to “employ” to prioritize and raise taxes on the sector rather than relying on private donors.
McOsker spokesman Sophie Gilchrist Council members have repeatedly not been involved in nonprofit fund allocations. The Advisory Committee will also develop principles that guide the fund.
“They will engage with the community to determine funding priorities and make allocation decisions,” Gilchrist said. “Council members will ensure full transparency by reporting all their contributions, as the public is seeking payments for review.”
Each of the 15 council districts has discretionary money from various sources, but according to the city’s controllers, the amount varies by district Kenneth Meziah.
With the city’s budget expected to be tighter, “now is the right time for funds like this to link charities directly with community organizations,” Gilchrist said.
The One Five Fund has not been officially launched, but it already has one large donation.
January, Marathon Petroleum Corporation The fund was given $750,000, according to a request submitted to McOsker, which was created by the city’s Ethics Department. The oil company operates the largest refineries in the Makoscar area and nearby Carson’s west coast.
The payment was the last money marathon he owed the city through the 2017 arrangement. The Tesoro Corporation, later purchased by the Marathon, agreed that the city, which has not pursued a lawsuit related to the merger of Wilmington and Carson refineries, would pay $9 million to fund community benefits for the 15th district.
In December, the city council voted to approve the $750,000 transfer to one Five Fund through the California Community Foundation, providing that Tesoro employees will join the One Five Fund advisory board.
Alicia Riveraorganisers with communities for a safer environment, fighting for healthy situations for those living near refineries called oil employees “unhappiness” being on the advisory board.
She said the oil company has a history of funding community services in port areas. He believes this is part of an effort to divert criticism of the health impact on refinery residents.
The Marathon did not respond to requests to comment on Rivera’s statement.
McOsker spokesman Gilchrist said the money was paid to the community through the contract four years before McOsker took office.
“By putting it into One Five Fund and adding a multi-member advisory group, the fund structure is designed to dilute the impact of one donor, including this,” she said.
The state of play
– Text confusion: The bus that she won’t auto-delete text messages after 30 days after Times Bass said The City was trying to get deleted messages related to Palisades Fire, is being asked by the Times through a request for public records. “Looking forward to it,” Bus said at this week’s press conference.
– I can’t go anywhere, It turns out that many people are not impressed by the bass when it comes to handling the fire in the Palisade. Just over 40% said Bass thought he was doing poor or very poor work, but only 19% said he characterized her response as good or good, according to the UC Berkeley Institute of Government Study Study Survey.
– Gathering behind her: Now, her supporters warn that a right-wing billionaire is coming to LA and that the bass is under attack from “wealthy oligarchs.” Rick Caruso and Elon Musk. The bus was able to run for reelection and grabbed these arguments to dodge potential recalls.
– County scrutiny: All 17 people died in the Eton fire. There, residents did not receive evacuation orders much later than in other areas. Now that’s it.
– Tape tail: According to a complaint filed with LAPD, officers from the LAPD recruitment office have made racist and disrespectful comments about black applicants and women, lesbian and gay colleagues. The scandal could blunt recruitment efforts in departments that are struggling to bring in new executives.
– DWP Chief Security: The committee overseeing the Ministry of Water and Power was scheduled to vote on the contract of DWP CEO and Chief Engineer on Tuesday. Janisse Quiñones. However, the chairman of the DWP Committee Richard Katz Bass called him the night before and said, “It made it very clear that she wanted a contract that was much cheaper than what she had before us.” The DWP is set to explore costly options and present them at meetings later this month. Meanwhile, supporters of DWP rate wages Fred Piquel He showed that he thought the security costs were reasonable and were consistent with what other utilities would pay.
– She’s running. So does she. She is also running: State Senator Maria Elena Durazo She announced she would be looking for seats on the LA County Board of Supervisors held by an extroverted supervisor. Hilda’s Steps. Former council member Wendy Carrillo and Sarah HernandezTrustee of the LA Community College District.
Quick Hit
- Where is the inside? The mayor’s signature initiative to tackle the homelessness went to the intersection of Sunset Boulevard and Myra Avenue in Silver Lake, where councillors are. HugoSoto-Martínez‘district. Outreach workers have returned to their previous safe locations, including the areas around Glendale Boulevard and Montana Avenue, represented by Soto Martinez.
- At the docket next week: The Budget and Finance Committee hears Media’s report on revenue forecasts. Mezia expects revenue to decline slightly for the fiscal year beginning July 1st. “It creates a major challenge for the mayor and council to face adopting a balanced budget for fiscal year 25-26,” Mezia wrote in the report. Bass will release its budget next month.
