Los Angeles may be on the verge of some major changes to how its city government actually works — changes that could affect everything from who holds power at City Hall to how decisions get made and services get delivered. Raymond Meza, who chaired the commission behind those proposals, joins me to walk through what’s being proposed. That’s on this episode of WNLA.

The City Charter is essentially the city’s constitution — which defines how power is divided, how decisions get made, and how different parts of government interact.The Los Angeles City Charter Reform Commission has just wrapped up months of work and sent a package of recommendations to the City Council — proposals aimed at making city government function more effectively.

Those recommendations take on some of the biggest structural questions facing Los Angeles: the size of the City Council, the balance of power between the council and the mayor, oversight of the LAPD, how the city handles budgeting, and how to address long-standing concerns about infrastructure, governance, and public corruption.

Raymond Meza and I take a deep dive into the proposals and what they could mean for the people of Los Angele.

https://reformlacharter.lacity.gov/

What's Next, Los Angeles? is produced and hosted by Mike Bonin, in partnership with LA Forward.

He is a businessman, an environmental advocate, and a former presidential candidate, and has emerged as an early Democratic frontrunner in the race for governor of California. He is running on a message focused on affordability, government performance, and economic fairness. Tom Steyer joins me to talk about his campaign. We talk about a lot of issues you don't hear about on the statewide campaing trail - child welfare, play equity, the struggles of staying in college while holding down a fulltime job, gentrification, and more.

https://www.tomsteyer.com/

What's Next, Los Angeles? is produced and hosted by Mike Bonin, in partnership with LA Forward.

She is a sitting City Councilmember who has focused on homelessness. housing and government reform -- and now she's running for mayor of Los Angeles. Nithya Raman joins me for a conversation about her campaign and the direction of the City on this episode of What's Next. Los Angeles,

Raman was first elected in 2020 to represent Council District 4. She defeated an incumbent in a race that drew national attention. Before joining the council, she was a housing advocate and co-founder of the SELAH neighborhood homelessness coalition and she worked in urban planning and on policy focused on homelessness and housing systems. On the City Council, Raman has been closely associated with efforts to expand renters’ rights and housing reform, overseeing the city's approach to homelessness and promoting increased transparency and oversight of city government. Her tenure has also included debates over development, public safety, and the pace and effectiveness of city services. She entered the mayor's race at the very last minute, arguing that Los Angeles needs to accelerate its response to the housing and homelessness crisis and to improve how City Hall delivers services, and engages with residents.

This conversation was recorded before a live audience as part of a fireside chat with public leaders, organized by the Pat Brown Institute for Public Affairs at Cal State LA.

https://www.nithyaforthecity.com/

What's Next, Los Angeles? is produced and hosted by Mike Bonin, in partnership with LA Forward.