Summary:

Our guest for this episode is Los Angeles City Controller Ron Galperin. In addition to being the first person from the Neighborhood Council system to be elected to Citywide office, Ron is well known for being one of the system’s greatest advocates. In our conversation, we discuss Ron’s journey from being an active Neighborhood Council Board Member to City Controller, how you can use your passion to create your own opportunities for service, and how to build successful relationships with elected officials and their staffs. We hope you enjoy!

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Show Notes:

Ron Galperin: Neighborhood Council Board Member
Here’s a video throwback to Ron Galperin’s Neighborhood Council days when he was volunteering his time to show other Board Members how to use the Community Impact Statement (CIS) and Council File Management System. The Neighborhood Council system runs on volunteers like Ron. Thank you to everyone who serves!

Running for City Council in 2009
Ron Galperin once ran for City Council in 2009. As you can see in this voter profile, Ron was always proud of his Neighborhood Council service and accomplishments.

Open Data Portal
As Ron mentioned, you can find literally everything the City buys on the City Controller’s Open Data Portal. This kind of information can be used to inform your advocacy, equip yourself with detailed knowledge about the City’s budget and expenses, or to just satisfy your curiosity!

Neighborhood Council Budget Advocates
Ron Galperin was once a very active member of the Neighborhood Council Budget Advocates, a citywide alliance of Neighborhood Council folks who come together to provide insight and recommendations to City officials about what we should be doing with the annual budget. You can learn more about the Budget Advocates here: http://ncbala.com/

Idle Funds Report
The Controller’s Office released a significant report on the state of some of the City’s many special funds, describing how some have been idle for years, with millions of dollars languishing in them. You can find some recommendations and insights about those funds in a report from the Controller’s office here.

Special Funds Data
You can find all the information you’d ever need about the City’s Special Funds, including the balance, purpose, and point of contact at the City for every single one of them here through the Controller’s Open Data Portal.

EmpowerLA’s monthly podcast is produced by Arin Abedian and hosted by Brett Shears.  

The views expressed in the EmpowerLA Podcast do not necessarily reflect those of EmpowerLA or the City of Los Angeles. The veracity of any claims made during the recording are the sole responsibility of the host and guest(s).