Have you ever thought about getting more involved in your neighborhood? Â Want to learn more about your neighborhood and how or local government works? Â Want to help your neighbors? Running for a seat on your Neighborhood Council is a great way to do all of those things.
On Sunday, May 1, the Greater Wilshire Neighborhood Council will hold elections for all 21 of its board seats, representing 15 different geographic areas within the larger Greater Wilshire neighborhood, along with six special interest positions (representing Renters, Business, Non-Profit, Religious or Education organizations…and an At-Large seat). Candidate registration for the elections starts tomorrow, January 17, 2016, and runs through March 2.
The GWNC supports our neighbors and neighborhoods in many ways, and serves as a grass-roots liaison between our stakeholders and the City Council. If you are at least 18 years old and live, work or own property in the Greater Wilshire area (roughly bounded by Melrose Ave., Manhattan Place, Olympic Blvd., and La Brea Ave.), you’re a GWNC stakeholder and you are eligible to both run for a seat on the board and to vote in the elections.  Board members run the gamut from curious newcomers to folks with several decades of community service experience. Everyone is welcome.
Board member terms are two years, and the only formal requirement is that you attend the board meetings on the second Wednesday of each month. Participation in one or more of the Council’s ongoing committees (Land Use, Transportation, Sustainability or Outreach) – or ad hoc projects — is also strongly encouraged.
To learn more about the Neighborhood Council system in Los Angeles, visit the Department of Neighborhood Empowerment’s website.  Candidate information and online registration forms are available here.
The GWNC’s available board seats are:
- Area 1 – Brookside
- Area 2 – Citrus Square
- Area 3 – Country Club Heights
- Area 4 – Fremont Place
- Area 5 – Hancock Park
- Area 6 – La Brea-Hancock
- Area 7 – Larchmont
- Area 8 – Melrose
- Area 9 – Oakwood/Maplewood-St. Andrews
- Area 10 – Ridgewood/Wilton-St. Andrews Square
- Area 11 – Sycamore Square
- Area 12 – Western-Wilton (We-Wil)
- Area 13 – Wilshire Park
- Area 14 – Windsor Square
- Area 15 – Windsor Village
- Renter
- Business
- Other Non-Profit Organization
- Education
- Religious Organization
- At-Large
To register as a candidate for a specific seat, you must provide official documentation confirming your status as a stakeholder in one of the geographic areas, or your connection to an appropriate organization or stakeholder group for one of the special interest seats (see p. 16 of the GWNC Bylaws for details).  Â
If you’ve ever thought about getting more involved with your neighborhood, this is a great way, and a great time, to take the plunge!  (P.S. – Even the mayor agrees:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BTl27axFcyE&feature=youtu.be )
