It was a routine re-election for City Council President Eric Garcetti last week, along with President Pro Tem Jan Perry and Assistant Pro Tem Dennis Zine.
But behind the scenes, there was a lot of rumbling about the trio serving only through January as their own political ambitions take shape and as the newer council members look to the day the old guard is termed out.
This might seem like a political merry-go-round, but here goes:
Perry has already announced she plans to run for mayor and has raised more than $200,000 for her campaign.
Garcetti has also indicated he plans to run for mayor.
Zine plans to run for city controller as Controller Wendy Greuel runs for mayor.
Councilwoman Janice Hahn is the front-runner in the July 12 special election for the 36th Congressional District. If she wins, that would open her council seat in the 15th District.
Those in their third and final four-year term, which began on Friday, are Tony Cardenas, Tom LaBonge and Bernard Parks.
Two others are in the last two years of their terms - Ed Reyes and Richard Alarcón.
And five - Paul Koretz, Paul Krekorian, Jose Huizar Bill Rosendahl and Herb Wesson - still have the option of running for additional terms.
Alarcón is said not to be interested in pursuing a leadership position. Plus, he's focused on fighting charges that accuse him of not living in the district he represents.
Reyes is said to be looking
for some kind of leadership post to help boost his resume for once his days in public office are over.Parks said he plans to serve out his final four years and then retire.
Wesson, a former speaker of the state Assembly, is said to be the odds-on favorite to serve as the next council president.
There was one discordant note in the election on Friday when Alarcón voted for Wesson to serve as president pro tem. He said he did it because of Perry's plans to run for mayor.
"I just don't think we should reward someone who is running for another office," Alarcón said.
Alarcón noted that Garcetti had not officially announced for mayor and that Garcetti had promised he would step down once he does announce.
Garcetti was also very confident of his re-election as council president, with his staff delivering handwritten notes from Garcetti to each council member thanking them for their vote.
It was a low-key changing of the guard for the 12th Council District last week.
Mitch Englander had been chief of staff to Greig Smith, whom he succeeded on the council.
Smith made sure he would not be in Englander's way. He took off a week earlier on a European vacation with his wife.
Once he returns, Smith said, he plans to continue his work as a reserve Los Angeles police officer.
Englander also is a reserve officer and says he plans to continue that work.
Everything old is new again, at least when it comes to professional football in Los Angeles and the debate over the future of downtown.
AEG's proposal to build a stadium has brought out critics from a decade ago, when the developer was planning its Staples Center-L.A. Live complex.
Former Councilman Nate Holden, and Greg Nelson, chief of staff to former Councilman Joel Wachs, raised cautionary flags over the stadium plan.
It was Wachs who offered the most critical review of the Staples Center proposal, which resulted in winning a number of concessions from AEG. In the end, Wachs voted for the plan.
Councilman Bill Rosendahl has taken on that mantle and hosted a town hall last week on the plan in which AEG President Tim Leiweke announced a major concession to pay for two parking structures and reduce the amount of a projected city bond from $350 million to the "high $200 millions."
Rick Orlov is a Daily News staff writer and columnist. His Tipoff column appears Mondays. For a daily political fix go to the Sausage Factory at insidesocal.com/politics. Orlov can be reached at rick.orlov@dailynews.com or 213-978-0390.
Source: http://www.dailynews.com/news/ci_18403809?source=rss
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