I hope our newsletter finds you well.  The City budget for Fiscal Year 2017-2018 was approved by City Council yesterday.  HUGE thanks to the Mayor’s Office, City Council, CAO and CLA for all of their hard work!  We’re thrilled to be receiving additional staffing and resources next year to continue building the Neighborhood Council system into the model of grassroots civic engagement in the nation.

Many thanks to Deputy City Attorney Darren Martinez, who oversees our Neighborhood Council Advice Division, for conducting our live Ethics and Open Government training for Neighborhood Council board members on Wednesday night in the Central/East area! There will be two more live trainings on Monday, May 22nd, in the Valley, and Thursday, May 25th in South LA/Harbor.  Also on the calendar for next month in South LA is our popular, Beyond Neighborhood Councils: How to Run for Higher Office, Get Appointed to a City Commission, or Find a Job in the City on June 26, 2017.  For more information, go to our EmpowerLA Calendar.  

We have a lot of awesome Neighborhood Council happenings this weekend.  The Neighborhood Council Budget Advocates meet tomorrow, and the 9th Annual Senior Symposium is happening in the Valley with the support of the Reseda Neighborhood Council, Woodland Hills Warner Center Neighborhood Council and Winnetka Neighborhood Council. The Congress of Neighborhoods Planning Committee meets on Sunday.  Also on Sunday, Sylmar Neighborhood Council is hosting its famous “Make Your House Count Event for the 4th year where they partner with Animal Services to license horses in order to help protect horse keeping rights in the Sylmar community, and Westside Neighborhood Council is having their annual Pick Pico event.

Next week, the Rules, Elections, Intergovernmental Relations and Neighborhoods Committee will be holding a special meeting in City Hall on Tuesday night and Thursday night. The Board of Neighborhood Commissioners will be reviewing the Hermon Neighborhood Council Subdivision Petition on Thursday night as well to possibly certify the 97th Neighborhood Council in Los Angeles.

As always, thanks for all the great work that you do to EmpowerLA!  Have a wonderful weekend!