New City Council President Shakes Up Committee Assignments, Demotes Parks, Perry

City Council President Herb Wesson announced new committee assignments Friday, a shake-up that included the removal of City Councilman Bernard Parks from the powerful Budget and Finance Committee, on which he had served since 2003.

Wesson promoted San Fernando Valley Councilman Paul Krekorian to the chairmanship of the budget committee, which does much of the early vetting of the mayor's budget proposal.

Wesson also removed Councilwoman Jan Perry from her leadership position on the Energy and Environment Committee, which includes oversight of the Department of Water and Power.

Councilman Mitch Englander, who represents District 12 which includes Chatsworth, will chair the Public Safety committee. Englander is a reserve police officer. He will be vice chair of the powerful Budget & Finance committee and a member of the Planning & Land Use Management committee.

Most of the other council members kept their committee chairmanships. Councilman-elect Joe Buscaino, who is expected to be sworn in on Tuesday, will chair the Public Works Committee.

An aide to Wesson declined to comment on the assignments.

The demotions of Parks and Perry were seen as personal. The relationships between the three black members of the council have turned bitter in recent months.

Wesson and Parks have clashed behind the scenes over the process for redrawing their district boundaries, which include affluent black neighborhoods near Baldwin Hills.

Perry, meanwhile, accused Wesson of secretly negotiating a deal for the council presidency last summer and of orchestrating redistricting maps that threaten to cut much of downtown from her district.

Wesson denied that any outside of the public 21-member redistricting commission. Wesson has said he was offended that Parks and Perry did not attend a council vote to elect him the first black council president.

Wesson assigned Parks and Perry to the less-prestigious Education and Neighborhoods committee, which oversees the city's . He promoted Councilman Jose Huizar to the Energy and Environment Committee.

Parks said in a statement he was happy with his new committee assignments, which also included the Jobs and Business Development and Transportation committees.

"I've never felt guaranteed or entitled to any committee or chair assignment and I will continue to serve the residents of Los Angeles, as I have done throughout my 45-year career with the city, to the best of my ability," Parks said.

"After all, it's not about me, it's about we," added Parks, a reference to a phrase used by Wesson in a speech after being elected to the council leadership.

Krekorian praised Parks' eight years of work on the budget committee, saying he led with dedication, skill and vision. Krekorian said he accepted the chairmanship aware that there are no easy solutions to close the city's budget deficit, estimated this week at between $150 million and $200 million.

"But with every great challenge there is great opportunity, and we must seize this chance to create a municipal government that effectively and efficiently provides the services our residents need and deserve," Krekorian said.

-- City News Service