LA City Council elects Bob Blumenfield as next pro tempore

The Los Angeles City Council on Tuesday elected Bob Blumenfield as the next pro tempore to work with incoming Council President Marqueece Harris-Dawson in leading the 15-member board and setting policies for the city.

In a 10-0 vote, the City Council confirmed Blumenfield’s nomination, which had been introduced via motion on Aug. 30 by members Katy Yaroslavsky and Nithya Raman. Harris-Dawson and Blumenfield will assume their respective roles on Sept. 20.

Council members Harris-Dawson, Raman, Yaroslavsky, Imelda Padilla and Curren Price were absent during the vote.

“I’m grateful to my colleagues for electing me to be part of our council’s leadership team,” Blumenfield said in a statement. “While we address unprecedented challenges, we need a blend of bold vision and institutional memory to continue making progress on the biggest issues facing our city.”

“I’m excited to start this new chapter, look forward to working closely with Marqueece Harris-Dawson, and (am) honored by the trust extended to me by my colleagues,” he continued.

Voters elected Blumenfield in 2013 and again in 2017 to represent the Third District, encompassing the northwest areas of the San Fernando Valley, such as Canoga Park, Reseda and Tarzana.

Blumenfield chairs the council’s Budget, Finance and Innovation Committee, which provides oversight of the city’s budget and gives fiscal recommendations to the City Council. He previously served in the state Assembly from 2008 to 2013, representing San Fernando Valley communities, where he also served as chair of the Budget Committee.

In May, the City Council unanimously elected Harris-Dawson as the next council president, who will take over the position from Paul Krekorian. He will be leaving City Hall at the end of this year due to term limits. Krekorian announced plans to step down as president by Sept. 20 in a move to help transition to new leadership.

Harris-Dawson was born and raised in South Los Angeles. He was elected in 2015 by 62% of voters to represent the Eighth District, covering neighborhoods of Baldwin Hills, Chesterfield Square, Crenshaw and Jefferson Park, among others.

Following the City Council’s vote, Mayor Karen Bass issued a statement supporting Harris-Dawson’s appointment as the next council president.