The Joe Biden administration is yet to disclose whether the government will name LA’s Mayor Eric Michael Garcetti as the US’s ambassador to the Republic of India. Anyhow, there is already an ongoing jockeying to have Garcetti’s mayoral seat filled.
Antonio Villaraigosa is among the prospective candidates who have created a buzz at Los Angeles City Hall. Villaraigosa served as this city’s mayor between 2005 and 2013, including those two years. Anyhow, one wonders whether Villaraigosa would be permitted to come back for the post under Los Angeles’s rules.
A political candidate says that Villaraigosa would, albeit the LA City Charter keeps mayoral terms to just two, and she expects that City Attorney Mike Feuer would opine about the idea.
Federal prosecutor Marina Torres, who runs for Los Angeles City Attorney’s position, said that he is entitled to make the comeback according to her understanding of that charter.
In Torres’s letter to Mike Feuer, she also attached a Nossaman LLP legal memo’s copy stating that one who served two mayoral terms could be appointed for the time remaining in Eric Garcetti’s term. Lawyer Amber Maltbie noted that mayors may be limited to just two terms, but the LA City Charter excludes the following from the limit thereof.
- Any unexpired mayoral term where one is appointed/elected with only less than 50% of the complete term of office remaining in it.
The LA Times has also reported that President Joe Biden is expected to nominate Garcetti for that ambassadorial position, as per an individual who knows the process of vetting. Anyhow, it is not clear when the selection would be officially disclosed.
The request of Marina Torres signifies the chatter behind closed doors about the interim mayoral post.
Villaraigosa is likely a tempting choice for councilors who are cautious about selecting one who could utilize the position as the springboard for it on a permanent basis. For instance, if the President of the Los Angeles City Council Nury Martinez is chosen as LA’s interim mayor, then she could succeed with her mayoral campaign.
Nury Martinez has already stated that she is thinking about bidding for the mayor’s position. Councilor Joe Buscaino and Feuer are already part of the race for the 2022 mayor, and three other councilors are thinking about running for it.
Torres is competing to succeed Attorney Feuer, as well as working with Buscaino’s political consulting business. She stated that the notion that any mayoral candidate, whether it is Buscaino or anyone else, could gain from Villaraigosa getting the role is irrelevant.
Torres wrote to Feuer as she was asked about what she thought about Villaraigosa’s eligibility for the position. As for her, Villaraigosa is among the few leaders who have the experience required for leading LA in this critical time. Torres thought that it was time for LA’s present attorney to issue his legal opinion about the matter.
Villaraigosa stated that the likelihood of him becoming chosen is all pure speculation, and that he has the trust in the value of public service. As someone who was born and brought up in LA, and who loves the city, Villaraigosa said that it would be an honor to be chosen.
In his mayoral tenure, Villaraigosa extended the Los Angeles Police Department’s size, addressed the 2008 recession-induced budget crisis, and fought with the LA teachers union about the control of LAUSD. Torres credited Villaraigosa for expanding public transport in the urban area.
Villaraigosa is serving as Mercury Public Affairs’ co-chairman. For your information, it is a lobbying and public strategy firm having clientele with business before Los Angeles City Hall.
Feuer’s spokesperson Rob Wilcox stated that opining about Villaraigosa’s eligibility to be the interim mayor would be a premature thing. Nevertheless, Wilcox has promised the right advice at the appropriate time.
Councilor Paul Krekorian is also on the list of candidates thought to be competing for the mayoral post. For your information, Krekorian has long been at the center of Los Angeles’s government. When asked whether Krekorian is seeking the interim position, he also refused to add to the speculation that already exists out there. Krekorian said that anything is possible in the future, and that he is ready to serve Los Angeles however he could best be helpful.
Some people wonder what would happen in the event of Garcetti leaving before his term completes. In that case, the Los Angeles City Council could use its authority to either appoint someone on an interim basis, or call an election for a substitute to complete his term. Martinez would continue in the capacity of acting mayor until the appointment or election of that interim mayor.
Buscaino’s representative Branimir Kvartuc stated that the campaign or the former’s office did not seek legal advice about Villaraigosa. One of Martinez’s representatives refused to opine about the chance of Villaraigosa’s appointment.