By Stephen Witt, Los Angeles County Politics
Is Mayor-elect Nithya Raman planning to tap Pasadena City Councilmember Rick Cole to run Los Angeles City Hall as the city’s first chief operating officer?
That question, and many others, will soon be answered as Raman, who defeated Mayor Karen Bass, takes charge of LA County’s largest city in December.
Cole, a former LA deputy mayor who advised Raman throughout her campaign, is widely expected to help lead her transition team, the Los Angeles Times reported.
He told LACP last December that the city needs a chief operating officer, appointed by the mayor and confirmed by the City Council, to run its 40-plus departments day to day, along with a chief financial officer and a two-year budget cycle.
“LA wasn’t designed to work, and that’s not a criticism. That’s a historic fact,” said Cole, who served as deputy mayor for budget under former Mayor Eric Garcetti and most recently as chief deputy controller under Controller Kenneth Mejia.
Cole told the Times that Raman will be a hands-on manager focused on measuring whether city programs work. “L.A. has been flying blind when it comes to measuring the impacts of the dollars spent. That is going to change,” said Cole.
Here’s where Raman stands on other challenges she’ll face:
Homelessness. Raman vowed to cut homelessness in half by the 2028 Olympics and end it by the close of her term. She has promised to let Mejia audit every dollar the city spends on homelessness and monitor encampment cleanups, and she favors short-term rental vouchers over the city’s costly use of hotel and motel rooms. She also inherits the new city-county agreement giving the city control over who moves into city-funded housing.
Public safety. Raman has promised to replace LAPD Chief Jim McDonnell, though she has given conflicting answers on when. The department has lost about 200 officers since February, and she has offered few specifics on rebuilding it. She’ll quickly face salary talks with the Los Angeles Police Protective League, which campaigned hard against her. She opposed the union’s last contract as too costly, and plans an early audit of the LAPD’s compliance with the city’s sanctuary law.
Housing and streets. Raman has promised a 60-day “shot clock” to approve apartment projects that meet zoning rules, and duplexes, triplexes and fourplexes in single-family neighborhoods near transit. Transportation advocates expect her to push bike lanes and street safety projects, and possibly a 2028 ballot measure to fund sidewalk repairs.
Raman, a Los Angeles City Councilmember (D-Silver Lake, Los Feliz, Hollywood Hills, Sherman Oaks, Encino, Studio City), won the mayor’s race after Bass conceded Thursday. Raman led 52.70% to 47.30%, or 460,772 votes to 413,519, according to the latest county results.
“While this is not the outcome we hoped for, the people of Los Angeles have spoken. I have called Councilmember Nithya Raman to congratulate her on her victory, and I have committed to ensuring a smooth and seamless transition. Moving this city forward is what Los Angeles needs from all of us,” said Bass in a statement.
Speaking at the Original Farmers Market on Thursday evening, Raman promised to earn the trust of all Angelenos and work across disagreements on homelessness, housing and public safety.
“This city has given me and my family so much — and at a time when the federal government, over the past two years … has rejected immigrants. This city has opened its arms to people to come and build their dreams here,” said Raman.
Raman entered the race hours before the filing deadline, challenging a one-time ally backed by nearly every elected Democrat in the city. Her top elected supporters were Supervisor Lindsey Horvath and Mejia.
Among the officials commenting on Mayor-elect Raman was Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan J. Hochman, who pledged to work with the new mayor, with a pointed caveat.
“I congratulate Mayor-elect Nithya Raman on her victory, and I thank Mayor Karen Bass for her service to the people of Los Angeles. Public safety is a shared responsibility, and I look forward to working with the new mayor and her team to keep every Angeleno safe,” said Hochman.
“What does not change with any election is how this office does its job. We will continue to hold criminals accountable by following the facts, the law and the evidence, wherever they lead. If Mayor-elect Raman is committed to public safety, then she will have a partner with me and the DA’s Office in achieving that goal,” the county’s chief prosecutor added.
