The first election for Los Angeles Metropolis Council District 2 within the east San Fernando Valley was filled with seven candidates searching for to fill the soon-to-be-open seat now held by Council President Paul Krekorian. We picked the individual with essentially the most legislative expertise — former Assemblymember Adrin Nazarian — and we once more advocate him within the Nov. 5 runoff.
Nazarian served within the state Meeting for a decade till 2022, and his district overlapped with a lot of Council District 2, which stretches from Toluca Lake and Studio Metropolis within the south via North Hollywood and Valley Glen to Solar Valley within the north. He was additionally Krekorian’s chief of employees, first within the Meeting after which within the Metropolis Council when Krekorian took workplace in 2010.
He’s deeply accustomed to the district’s challenges and alternatives, and he has the relationships and information to be an efficient member of the council instantly.
Nazarian describes himself as an issue solver — an elected official who spends the time listening to constituents, understanding their issues after which working collaboratively to get points resolved. That’s not all the time simple, particularly with deep-rooted issues reminiscent of housing affordability, homelessness and road security that advanced from a long time of unhealthy selections and inaction.
Nazarian has proven persistence in combating for change, even when it’s tough. Within the Meeting, he repeatedly launched payments to extend seismic security, even after governors vetoed his efforts. Nonetheless Nazarian didn’t hand over and handed smaller reforms, together with opening up financing applications to assist folks afford to retrofit their properties, figuring out that even modest steps may assist make properties and companies extra resilient to earthquakes.
He’s an advocate for not simply constructing much more housing within the district but in addition diversifying the forms of new improvement. Which means he’ll encourage a mixture of inexpensive, middle-income, market-rate, rental and for-sale properties on this district. He desires to see extra housing on main corridors and close to transit, which is nice. However Nazarian must also be keen to contemplate opening single-family zone areas close to transit and industrial corridors for low-rise flats, townhomes and bungalow courts, which can facilitate the form of numerous housing portfolio he promotes.
Nazarian stated he’s dedicated to a humane strategy to addressing homeless encampments, together with working with Mayor Karen Bass’ Inside Protected program to maneuver folks into momentary housing after which everlasting housing. He helps hiring extra psychological well being and disaster intervention staff to answer nonviolent service calls as an alternative of police. However he additionally helps hiring extra cops so the division has adequate employees to be aware of neighborhood issues and to analyze and remedy crimes.
Nazarian is dealing with off towards Jillian Burgos, an optician and proprietor of a theater firm who joined the North Hollywood Neighborhood Council in 2021. Burgos has helped arrange assist for tenant protections and unarmed response pilot applications. Like Nazarian, she desires the town to spend more cash on civilian groups that may reply to requires psychological well being and homelessness points, however she helps reallocating cash from the police price range to pay for these providers.
Burgos is a great and dedicated grassroots advocate, however Nazarian is the stronger of the 2 candidates due to his on-the-ground expertise, his prolonged report of service and his demonstrated capacity to collaborate and ship for the neighborhood. We expect he might be a robust consultant for the district and a beneficial voice on the Metropolis Council.
