PUBLIC RECORDS REQUESTS
PUBLIC RECORDS REQUESTS Under the California Public Records Act (PRA), Neighborhood Council records must be made available when requested by the public. Learn how to respond and what the deadlines are in this video.
CONFLICT OF INTEREST
CONFLICT OF INTEREST You must “recuse yourself” -- that is, not vote - when an agenda item might create a conflict of interest between your board position and other roles you play in your personal or professional life. Learn when to vote and when to walk in this video.
BROWN ACT
BROWN ACT Many aspects of routine Board business like how and when to post agendas; what you can/cannot discuss at meetings; and how to keep email threads from turning into serial meetings are regulated by this California law requiring open & transparent public meetings. Training videos - what the Brown Act is & how to [...]
REQUIRED TRAININGS
REQUIRED TRAININGS Now that you’re a public official, you must undergo training required by the City and State, and familiarize yourself with policies that govern how Neighborhood Councils and their members may operate. Until you complete the three required trainings on Ethics; Funding; and the Code of Conduct, you will not be able to vote [...]
WHAT ARE NEIGHBORHOOD COUNCILS FOR?
WHAT ARE NEIGHBORHOOD COUNCILS FOR? LA’s Neighborhood Councils are grassroots-level advisory bodies that exist to connect Angelenos to City Hall. The system was established in 1999 by the City Charter, in order to improve government responsiveness to local concerns. Currently, there are approximately 1800 elected Board Members serving on 96 Neighborhood Councils that each represent [...]
Do We Have Your Contact Info?
EmpowerLA does lots of communication via email, hence it is important that our board member database is up-to-date. We only use the emails that have been provided to us via rosters@empowerla.org. To make sure we have your correct email address, please go to your EmpowerLA - Neighborhood Council webpage (find it here); scroll down, and look for [...]
Where Is My Username & PIN?
Did you register to vote online, but haven't yet received a username and PIN to use to log into the voting system? There are three possible explanations : 1) Your registration was incomplete; 2) your registration is complete but not yet processed; or 3) your registration was completed but your login confirmation went into your [...]
When Is There a Recount of Ballots?
Recounts may happen either automatically or by request in a Neighborhood Council election. Whenever there is a contest where the number of votes separating candidates for a given seat is 10% or less of the total votes cast in that contest, EmpowerLA Elections staff conduct a recount automatically. Recounts may also be conducted by request. [...]
What Happens In Case Of A Tie?
If there is a tie between two or more candidates running for the same Neighborhood Council seat, the tie is resolved by drawing straws. The drawing of straws may happen immediately after ballots are counted, if all the candidates involved (or their designated representatives) are present; otherwise, it will happen within two calendar days after [...]
How To Run Facebook Ads
Facebook ads can boost your posts, promote your page, send people to your website, raise attendance at your events, and more. If your Neighborhood Council has a Facebook page, running advertisements during elections is a great outreach strategy. If your Neighborhood Council does not have a Facebook Page, learn how to make one here. [...]