This rarely happens: The L.A. City Council blocked a commission appointee
It almost never happens.
But on Friday, the Los Angeles City Council unanimously blocked a nominee to a city commission.
The council voted 14 to 0 to reject the nomination of Reseda Neighborhood Council President Jamie York to the five-member Ethics Commission, which proposes policy and issues penalties for campaign finance violations.
York was nominated by City Controller Kenneth Mejia to the position in June and had received support from neighborhood leaders.
On Friday, York said she was “incredibly disappointed that the Ethics Commission is going to be prevented from doing its important work at a time when its mandate is of such relevance.”
The effort to block York was initiated by Councilmember Monica Rodriguez, who represents the northeast San Fernando Valley. Her motion to disapprove York’s nomination was seconded by Councilmember Marqueece Harris-Dawson, whose district takes in parts of South L.A.
The council approved Rodriguez’s motion without discussion, with City Councilmember Nithya Raman absent.
Rodriguez, through a spokesperson, declined to comment. Aides to 10 other council members also didn’t immediately respond to inquiries from The Times.
Sergio Perez, who serves as Mejia’s chief of accountability and oversight, called York “the most qualified” of any ethics commission nominee in recent years.
Councilmember Eunisses Hernandez, who represents the area, voted for the purchase — but only after reeling off a list of concerns about how it will be run.
“The City Council voted down Jamie York, unanimously, hurriedly, and without debate, but not because they thought she couldn’t do the job,” he said. “They voted her down because they were afraid she would.”
Nearly all of the city’s commission seats are volunteer positions.
It’s not uncommon for a commission nominee who is the subject of controversy to withdraw from consideration. However, it’s highly unusual for the council, which confirms most nominees, to outright reject or disapprove one.
York’s past professional background includes working on campaigns and raising money for various politicians, including former Mayor Eric Garcetti. She’s also volunteered for an array of government groups.
She was elected president to the Reseda Neighborhood Council in July. Previously, she served as a secretary of the council.
“In my time on the neighborhood council, I have dedicated my work to fighting for my community and for fighting on broader ethics issues that affect every Angeleno,” York said.
Times staff writer David Zahniser contributed reporting.
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