I hope this newsletter finds you well. I just got out of the Budget & Finance Committee meeting where we received a warm reception from Councilmembers Krekorian, Englander, Koretz, Bonin and Blumenfeld. They acknowledged both the Department and Neighborhood Councils amazing work with the few resources we have so we should all be very proud. Many thanks to the Neighborhood Council Budget Advocates, Co-Chairs Jay Handal and Joanne Yvanek-Garb, Jeanette Hopp and Commissioner Lydia Grant of our Board of Neighborhood Commissioners for coming to speak in support of our budget request. 

I've had a few questions regarding a potential funding source for our budget request coming from the Neighborhood Councils unspent funds. Please know that I would love every Neighborhood Council to spend down their yearly allocation on our mission, and our small funding staff does its best to process payments in a timely manner when paperwork comes in complete. Every year though, we typically have between $300-$500k that doesn't get spent and reverts back to the general fund. My ultimate goal is that we reinvest these funds back into the system through outreach and capacity building grants to Neighborhood Councils. Until such grants are set up though, which requires City Council approval and staffing, these unused fund, along with the Department's unused funds, are a potential funding source for the policy and outreach staff I'm proposing for next year. These staffers are necessary to continue building the Neighborhood Council system citywide. If you have concerns or other suggestions, please feel free to contact me at grayce.liu@lacity.org to discuss.

Region 8 Neighborhood Council elections were great last Saturday. Big thanks to Councilmember Huizar and his staff for assisting us with last minute election location changes and for opening up their offices as polling locations. There was an infusion of new board members in this area's Neighborhood Councils with 67 of the 135 open seats being new folks in the system. We're so appreciative of board members doing the necessary outreach to grow and sustain our system. Even if you didn't get elected to the board, your Neighborhood Council still needs you working in their committees, community events and voicing your concerns at board meetings. There's plenty of work for everyone.

Next week, the Board of Neighborhood Commissioners is meeting on Tuesday in the Harbor area. We're looking forward to having CD 15 Councilmember Joe Buscaino there to speak on leadership. We're also happy to welcome Dave Meslin of #Leadership LA. Dave is a Community Choreographer from Toronto, Canada who will be spending the week with us learning about Neighborhood Councils for a book he is writing on democracy. 

Neighborhood Council elections continue in Regions 9 and 12 in South Los Angeles and Harbor. I'll be heading there after stopping by the LANCC in the morning. If I don't see you tomorrow, have a great weekend!