LA City Council votes to reappoint Heather Hutt to District 10 seat for remainder of Mark Ridley-Thomas' term
The Los Angeles City Council on Tuesday voted to appoint Heather Hutt as the District 10 councilwoman for the remainder of the term that was formerly Mark Ridley-Thomas' through 2024, before he was convicted of federal corruption.
Hutt was initially selected to act as caretaker of District 10 in Sept. 2022 due to Mark Ridley-Thomas' suspension.
Instead of sending the vote to a special election, councilmembers on Tuesday opted to appoint her to the seat for the remainder of his term through 2024.
Following the 11-1 vote, Hutt was sworn into the new role, which she had been filling until March 30 when Ridley-Thomas' verdict came through. The council chambers filled with applause after the vote results were announced.
"It is an honor for me to serve the people of the 10th District. I just want to take a moment to thank my colleagues, council president and my friends and family, my staff and the constituents of the 10th District," Hutt said while speaking to the room following the vote.
After Hutt's swearing-in, Mayor Karen Bass issued a statement, which read in part:
"Councilmember Hutt has a track record of exemplary public service and I know the people of the 10th City Council District will benefit from her continued leadership."
Ridley-Thomas' seat was officially declared vacant after his conviction for federal corruption, bribery and wire fraud on March 30. Hutt had been acting as temporary council woman in the meantime, and after the vacancy was acting as the non-voting caretaker for the district to make sure constituent's needs were still being addressed.
Despite some calling for a special election to fill the council seat, similar to the election currently being held for former council president Nury Martinez's District 6 spot, current council president Paul Krekorian announced his plan for Hutt to take over the seat and have a vote on the matter.
She will now hold the seat until December 2024, when the term expires.
Council woman Monica Rodriguez, who represents District 7, was the sole member that did not vote to approve Hutt's appointment, citing a lack of transparency and process in the decision.
"It's really problematic for me that we find ourselves in this conversation again, and I understand how frustrating and upsetting it is for residents of the district," Rodriguez said. "I understand because what disenfranchised communities look like are no different than what we see in Council District 6, right now. But we are honoring a process in Council District 6 with democracy, with a special election for the people to be afforded opportunity to select and elect their representative."
In response to Council woman Rodriguez, Krekorian noted that the circumstances leading to District 6's special election are entirely different from those in District 10.
A special election was held for former council president Martinez's seat on April 4 after she resigned in the wake of a scandal revolving leaked audio tape that caught her making several racially-charged statements in 2021.
Krekorian also noted that the special election is vastly more expensive, and would run taxpayers around $8 million.
"Heather Hutt has capably represented the district as the temporary appointee and I am confident she will continue to do so as the permanent appointee," he said. "In a matter of months, the people of the district will have the opportunity to decide whether they prefer to elect her or a different representative in the regularly scheduled election. By contrast, a special election, which could cost taxpayers almost $8 million, could result in one person serving through the end of this year, a new person taking over in January, and another person starting again a year later. That kind of instability, uncertainty and political gamesmanship does not serve the interests of the people of the 10th District."
Residents on both ends of the argument voiced their concerns on Tuesday, with the council ultimately opting to go with Krekorian's plan for a council vote.
"i'm gonna put my glasses on and let's get to work," Hutt said as she concluded her emotional speech Tuesday. She has already declared her intention to run for a full term in the 2024 election.
