How Did Paul Krekorian Become L.A Council President After Nury Martinez?

The Los Angeles City Council is already moving in the wrong direction, after District 2 Council Paul Krekorian was elected as L.A Council President Tuesday.

Krekorian was elected as L.A Council President Tuesday. Krekorian replaced Nury Martinez as Council President, following her resignation last week when leaked audio exposed her speaking negatively with racist undertones about L.A constituents.

The City Council is currently meeting remotely, due to concerns of Covid-19, following the positive test results of both Mike Bonin and Krekorian in recent weeks.

CD8 Councilman Marqueece Harris-Dawson, nomiated Krekorian who was elected in a unanimous vote.

10 council members were present at the meeting. CD9 Councilman Curren Price not attend the meeting out of protest.

“I made a conscious decision to not attend this morning’s Council meeting because as a City leader, I could not support a virtual hearing that silenced the public outcry and shut out Angelenos who continue to reel from this breach of trust,” Price said in a statement.

Krekorian released the following statement following his election as Council President,

I am honored and humbled by my fellow Council-members have placed me at this time of crisis and challenge.

Those of us in Black Los Angeles, however, have serious questions on how Krekorian would seem best fit for this role, after a racism scandal that involved three of L.A’s most powerful Latino leaders.

“Three folks decided to have an off-site meeting for the purpose of consolidating their power, at the expense of the African-American community,”

L.A City Councilman Mitch O’Farrell

Constituents of Black Los Angeles, along with civil rights leaders, publicly called on the L.A City Council to name an African-American Council member as Council President.

There are currently three African-American’s on L.A’s City Council.

Nury Martinez, Kevin De Leon and Gil Cedillo, had taken a meeting with Ron Herrera, President of the L.A County Federation of Labor to discuss redistricting. 

Herrera has been a union member for over 41 years and headed a powerful labor organization representing over 300 unions and 800,000 workers in Los Angeles.

Read More: https://voiceofblackla.com/paul-krekorian-council-president-would-be-offensive-after-nury-martinez/

Both Herrrera and Martinez have since resigned.

I support the decision made by my colleagues on the City Council to select Councilmember Paul Krekorian as the new Council President. I have worked alongside him for many years, first at the State level and now here on the Council.

We have been working together on the Budget and Finance Committee to deliver funding for such programs as the Guaranteed Basic Income Pilot Program, Senior Meals Program, Universal Broadband and other programs designed to serve our community. 

I look forward to working with him and my colleagues as we grapple with some of the most pressing challenges facing our City. I am committed to doing my part to help our City heal, restore public confidence and bring honor back to City Hall.”

Councilman Curren Price