Rick Cole, a veteran of municipal governance, is stepping down from his role as chief deputy in City Controller Kenneth Mejia’s office after more than two years.
His departure is not just a mere transition; it carries a deeper significance about the looming concerns for the future of Los Angeles.
In a recent address to the City Council, Cole voiced his growing alarm regarding several intertwined crises that the city is facing, and which he argues have been building over decades.
He expressed urgent concerns over an escalating homelessness emergency, an affordable housing crisis, and an alarming structural budget deficit that has led to significant job losses within city departments.
Moreover, Cole outlined various socio-economic impacts, including the aftermath of a devastating fire that consumed a neighborhood and a troubling relationship with the federal government.
He emphasized that these issues are not isolated; rather, they feed into an existential threat for Los Angeles, compounded by deteriorating infrastructure and a public perception of inefficacy in government operations.
During our exclusive conversation, Cole elaborated on this impending crisis, and the iterable apathy towards systemic reforms needed to combat these challenges.
“I’ve never been more alarmed about the future of Los Angeles,”
Cole stated bluntly, suggesting that effective governance must be more than a reactive measure to crisis.
Instead, he argued that proactive, ambitious reforms are necessary to address the multifaceted nature of the city’s issues. The conversation steered towards discussing the governance structure itself, highlighting what he perceives as inherent weaknesses in the City Charter.
Cole contended that the distribution of authority and accountability within the city governance is inefficient and leads to waste and confusion.
Currently, department heads find themselves answerable to multiple stakeholders – a total of 16 bosses, he notes, thus compromising the effectiveness of city services.
This complexity creates an environment where prioritizing local issues takes precedence over systemic improvements, leaving constituents dissatisfied with the services provided. The struggle to fix basic infrastructure problems, such as regular street maintenance, is caught in the chaos of divided responsibilities.
Instead of focusing on long-term solutions, city departments’ efforts get pulled into immediate political pressures from council members, diverting attention from greater systemic improvement initiatives.
Cole advocates for a restructuring of city governance to align it better with 21st-century demands. Primary among these suggested changes is the appointment of a chief operating officer who would oversee the city’s function across its numerous departments.
Currently, such an important position is absent, which hinders effectiveness and accountability.
Additionally, he argues for the institution of a chief financial officer to centralize fiscal responsibilities, which are currently dispersed across multiple offices, further clouding accountability.
His opinions extend to budget management, where he suggests moving from a traditional one-year budget cycle to a two-year cycle that can be adjusted annually.
This would streamline the budget process, a cumbersome operation that currently occupies the city’s resources for nearly a year without yielding significant changes.
In the context of his speech, Cole articulated that the helplessness felt by the residents reflects a damaging narrative about governmental inefficacy.
The city cannot afford to continue down the current path, primarily characterized by infighting over accountability and mismanagement of resources.
As an immediate response to issues outside the city’s core governance challenges, recent data suggests a reduction in crime rates, particularly homicides, marking a glimmer of hope amid the ongoing struggles.
The LAPD reported that Los Angeles is on track for its lowest homicide total in nearly six decades, breaking from the negative perception often portrayed by national officials, including President Donald Trump, during discussions on public safety.
Notably, the city is also contending with the fallout from recent immigration policy actions undertaken by the previous administration, with Mayor Karen Bass recently announcing plans to aid those affected by ICE raids.
This financial assistance will stem from philanthropic sources and will be distributed to immigrant communities to help mitigate impacts from federal actions.
Additionally, local officials are positioning to join a lawsuit challenging the legality of ongoing detentions in immigration sweeps, seeking to protect vulnerable populations amidst increased federal enforcement.
While Cole navigates his exit from City Hall, he leaves behind a legacy of advocating for urgent reform amidst a crumbling municipal framework.
His commitment to the Pasadena City Council reflects a desire to continue public service, albeit at a different scale, away from the complexities of Los Angeles governance.
Cole’s departure and his critical stance towards existing city operations enter an essential dialog about the future leadership needed in confronting persistent crises.
It is a conversation that anticipates not just accountability but innovative solutions that adapt to the evolving needs of the city.
As the City Council prepares for a charter reform commission meeting next week, Cole’s insights will likely resonate within those discussions as city leaders consider possibilities for meaningful change.
In summary, Los Angeles is standing at a crossroads, and the voices advocating for reform, such as Rick Cole’s, may very well define its trajectory moving forward.
image source from：latimes
