Marqueece Harris-Dawson

L.A. City Councilmember Nithya Raman announced that she will lose her position as chair of the Housing and Homelessness Committee, claiming the removal is a political attack. She made the statement during a campaign event for her bid to run for mayor against Karen Bass. The change reportedly follows plans by L.A. City Council President Marqueece Harris-Dawson to split the committee into two separate parts: one focused on housing and one on homelessness.

Los Angeles property owners rejected a proposal to increase annual fees for streetlight repairs, with nearly 80% of weighted votes opposing the measure. The city's streetlight budget, frozen since the 1990s, requires nearly $112 million for upcoming fiscal year needs but will remain at $45 million after the rejection. Mayor Karen Bass and city leaders pledged continued commitment to improving streetlighting despite the setback.

The Los Angeles City Council voted to develop a ballot measure to reform the city's 'mansion tax' (Measure ULA), which taxes real estate sales over $5.3 million. Council President Marqueece Harris-Dawson cited declining housing construction since the tax's 2023 implementation, while opponents argued it could reduce critical funding. A coalition, including the California Community Foundation, supports reforms to restart housing development while preserving the tax's revenue.

A Los Angeles City Council committee voted to shelve a proposed ballot measure that would have cut the 'mansion tax' rate for multifamily and mixed-use properties from 5.5% to 2-3.5%. Instead, the committee advanced a narrower pilot program to reduce the tax for newly built affordable housing. The decision avoids voter approval for the broader tax cut but leaves open the possibility of a separate proposal to repeal the tax entirely.