If West Hollywood City Councilmember Jeffrey Prang wins his race for the Los Angeles County Assessor position, which most political observers think it likely, he will immediately give up his Council seat.
Prang, cautioning that he didn’t want to jinx his chances of winning by predicting his own victory, told WEHOville that he would like to remain on the Council through the end of December, after which he would step into the Assessor position. But Prang, who has developed a reputation for fiscal conservatism, said that would mean the city would have to spend as much as $150,000 on a special election, or the Council would have to vote to name someone to fill the two years remaining on his Council term.
“I think it would be better for West Hollywood if I stepped aside and let someone else run for my seat” he told WEHOville.
Prang has been a Council member for 18 years. He currently serves as a special assistant in the Assessor’s Office. The County Assessor is charged with overseeing a staff that determines the value of real estate on which taxes are levied. Prang has been a lifelong Democrat. His opponent in the Nov. 4 election is L.A. County Deputy District Attorney John Morris, a Republican. Prang has the vast majority of endorsements from major county and state political figures. He finished first among 12 candidates in the June primary election with 18 percent of the vote.
Prang’s decision to give up his seat shortly after the Nov. 4 election means there may be four seats up for grabs in the March 2015 City Council election. It also is likely to change to some degree the thinking of those who have been considering a run for a Council seat. Some prospective candidates have told WEHOville that they are reluctant to run for one of the seats occupied by incumbents John D’Amico, John Heilman and Abbe Land. In some cases that is because they are supporters of one or the other of the incumbents. In other cases they believe a campaign against an incumbent would be futile in a city where incumbents traditionally win.
Someone who runs for the two-year position vacated by Prang won’t be seen as an opponent to an incumbent. Such a candidate instead can position himself before voters by his or her stand on particular issues.
To date there are 11 candidates who have declared that they are running for a Council seat.
Maybe now he can get money from developers by raising their taxes as opposed to taking campaign contributions and kickbacks. Can anybody say 8899 Beverly Blvd Development?
I voted against Prang. I want him around for the FBI investigation of one of the most corrupt pro-development city governments around = WEHO. Sunset Blvd is a development mess and thanks to the likes of people like Prang and Durand.
I will only be voting for Prang to get him out of West Hollywood politics. Wish I could have done the same for Duran, but something tells me he’ll be keeping his eyes peeled for other possible runs outside of Weho. The city needs to have a primary council election and then a run-off election or many of these new people will never have a chance. Huge thanks to Wehoville for following the money!
Michael, that is a good point. So there would be three 4-year seats open and one for the remainder of Prang’s term. So could the same candidates be on the ballot for those three seats, and separately for the fourth seat? And if so, what if someone won both seats? Or could they just have the 4th place winner take the remainder of his term? I wonder what the city laws say about all of this (or if it covers these types of situations).
Randy:
Candidates will have to decide whether to run for the four-year seats on the two-year seat. Can’t run for both.
If the council chooses to tie the special election to March 3, (which I’m sure they will, given the backlash to their previous decision) There would be two offices up for election on the ballot. One, to fill the remainder Jeffery Prang’s term. The Second office would be to select 3 council members for a full four year term.
Whomever wins Prang’s seat would then be up for reelection in 2 years.
Yes, what Chris said. There’s no point in having a special election just 3 or 4 months before the regular one. That isn’t fiscally responsible. Couldn’t Prang just stay on for that period, or have the council function with only four seats?
It sounds like it he resigns early enough, then legally a fourth slot can be added to those to be elected in the regular election.
To repeat myself, though, there is a very simple solution to this -candidates should commit themselves that, if they are elected, irrespective of whether it is, say, John Heileman, Lauren Meister, Larry Block, whoever, the candidate who comes in fourth will be selected by the newly elected council as the other member for the next two years.
Couldn’t be any easier. Just do it that way.
I do hope the Council member Prang wins. And I HOPE that we, the citizens will be “allowed” to have a special election to choose who will fill Prang’s seat. The last time this council appointed someone, the community was not happy. If, as Council members have said, we have $100 Million dollars in our coffers, then hell, spend the $150K and let us have that special election.
Is that xx = 20 running?