"America is a great country; it always has been. Our challenge now is to continue to wave the flag of freedom in the face of fear and uncertainty. I am confident we can do that." Continue reading

When I was on the Cleveland High School swim team, I remember day after day of exhausting laps in the pool. As we trained hard for our swim meets, one of the things that got me to push through those last meters was the sound of that unforgettable anthem of the Olympic Games. Continue reading

Happy New Year! I entered 2017 in high spirits and with renewed vigor about the great progress we're making in Los Angeles and what this new year holds. I'm thrilled about the ongoing work we're doing to improve our neighborhoods, tackle our city's challenges, and bring greater resources and services to the community. Together, we can do the hard work needed to cultivate a community that promotes diversity and supports Angelenos from all walks of life.  Continue reading

Happy Holidays! As we celebrate the season and look forward to the year ahead, I'd like to take this special "Year in Review" edition of Our Valley News to look back at what made 2016 such a special year in the San Fernando Valley. CLICK HERE TO READ THE 2016 YEAR IN REVIEW Continue reading

The City of Los Angeles just launched an unprecedented, comprehensive sidewalk repair program, called Safe Sidewalks LA, which will invest $1.4 billion over the next 30 years to make all 11,000 miles of the city's sidewalk grid accessible and safe for everyone. Safe Sidewalks LA is one of the biggest and boldest infrastructure programs in LA's history. Continue reading

The holiday season has arrived. As people get together with family, friends and co-workers to celebrate, now is the time to embrace the spirit of community and giving. Continue reading

Councilmember Krekorian delivered this speech during the 2016 Veterans Day Celebration at Forest Lawn Memorial Park. Click here to watch the speech: youtu.be/QAfiffTTBZw.   My Dad, who rests here at Forest Lawn Memorial Park, was a Marine Corps veteran of World War II, and as his son I very much appreciate seeing the many Americans who celebrate this day.  Continue reading

This Election Day, there is a much at stake for our country and our communities. We will be electing a new president, electing a new U.S. senator for the first time in more than two decades, and casting votes for other federal and state offices. Even more pronounced in this election is the number of initiatives and measures on our very long ballot. Continue reading

This week, the City Council unanimously approved a citywide plan to create jobs and make Los Angeles more business-friendly.  Continue reading

Homelessness is such an enormous crisis impacting the lives of Angelenos from South Los Angeles to the San Fernando Valley. As we work on a holistic strategy to address the issue by providing people with housing and services, we also need to provide a pathway to employment.    Continue reading

One in four women will be a victim of domestic violence in her lifetime. Three women a day die at the hands of an abuser. One in three teens is a victim of dating abuse. These are sobering facts about domestic violence, one of the most serious issues facing our society. Most of its victims are women and children who are not safe in their own home. Continue reading

Last week, I introduced two City Council motions aimed at curbing consumer fraud in Los Angeles. The need to take urgent action became apparent when I learned about the massive deception perpetrated by Wells Fargo at the expense of its customers. Because the City of Los Angeles is one of Wells Fargo's customers, my first motion instructs the city's Office of Finance to investigate whether or not the banking giant defrauded the city by creating fake bank accounts in the city's name, as happened to tens of thousands of unsuspecting individuals. The motion also ensures that the city won't pay unnecessary bank fees from bad actors. Continue reading

Last week, I introduced a motion to ensure that our LA River revitalization efforts stay on track and to prevent our city from getting pushed into a bad high-speed rail route that would adversely impact San Fernando Valley communities. Continue reading

The Los Angeles City Planning Commission just voted overwhelmingly to approve NOHO West, a critical redevelopment project that will revitalize Laurel Plaza and make this East San Fernando Valley commercial corridor thrive once again. This is a huge step forward for what I believe will be the cornerstone of a bright commercial future in the area. Securing a worthy redevelopment project here and in Valley Plaza has been my top economic development priority since I took office in January 2010. With NOHO West, we can all look forward to 24+ acres of top-notch, brand new retail, entertainment, office and housing options for Valley residents. Continue reading

Today, the City Council took bold and decisive action by voting 12-0 to make Los Angeles the biggest city in the country to move toward a fossil-free future. We approved a road map that will get LA to 100 percent clean energy in an efficient, sustainable and equitable way. Councilmember Mike Bonin and I authored the motion because the realities of inaction on climate change are too stark for us to do nothing. My goal with this motion is to set an example for action that I hope other cities will follow.   Continue reading