Want To Make A Difference? Run For Neighborhood Council

NORTHRIDGE-CHATSWORTH, CA — With all the bad news swirling around the country and the world, it is encouraging to remember that ordinary citizens can make a meaningful difference in their local communities by running for their neighborhood council. Neighborhood councils lead their communities, and advise LA City Councilmembers on the needs of their communities.

You can run in any of the races if you are over 18 years old (or for a Youth Seat if you are between 14 and 17); live, work, or own property or a business within the defined boundaries of the neighborhoods, attend or have a child who attends school in the neighborhood, or have a "substantial and ongoing participation" with a nonprofit community organization located in the neighborhood for at least a year that has performed "ongoing and verifiable activities and operations that benefit the neighborhood."

Candidates are divided into several categories like "At Large Stakeholder", "Business Owner or Employee," "Property Owner," and more. Each category has a finite number of seats. Click on the "Declared candidates" link in your neighborhood to see if there are open seats in an applicable category.

This 2018 video from EmpowerLA, the city's Department of Neighborhood Empowerment, explains more about the history of neighborhood councils and what they do for their communities. This brochure from the LA City Clerk contains helpful information, and you can also watch this Zoom recording of a candidate info session. A comprehensive guide with information on candidates, how to run, and how to vote can be found on the elections page of the City Clerk's website.

Elections will happen between Nov. 2020 and June 2021. See this chart of important election dates.

Applicants can apply through the EmpowerLA portal. Vote by mail ballots can be requested from Feb. 26 until April 20. Elections will be held April 27, and mail ballots must be received by April 30 and postmarked by Election Day. Voters can be 16 years of age or older.

Some neighborhood councils hold votes called "selections" that are held annually and run by the councils themselves, rather than the City Clerk. Chatsworth falls into this category, and it has different forms and dates than the other councils around Northridge. See below for more information.

Patch has assembled a list of neighborhood councils around Northridge that have races this year. If you don't see your LA neighborhood listed here, here's a map with helpful information and links about each council.

Northridge West

Neighborhood boundaries: Nordhoff Way up to the 118 Freeway, between Corbin Avenue and Reseda Boulevard

Seats open: 5

Declared candidates: Joel A. Lovell, current board member and treasurer; Louis John Dezheran, Jr., Salvation Army employee

Application deadline: Feb. 9

Mail-in ballot request dates: Feb. 26 through April 20

Election date: April 27

Deadline to receive mail-in ballots (which must be postmarked by Election Day:) April 30

Northridge East

Neighborhood boundaries: Nordhoff Street to Devonshire Street between Reseda Boulevard and Devonshire Boulevard; Devonshire Boulevard to the 118 between Reseda Boulevard and Garden Grove Avenue; Nordhoff Street to Lassen Street between Reseda Boulevard and Woodley Ave, excluding the area south of Plummer Street and east of Gerald Avenue.

Seats open: 7

Declared candidates: Ken Ross, details unknown

Application deadline: Feb. 9

Mail-in ballot request dates: Feb. 26 through April 20

Election date: April 27

Deadline to receive mail-in ballots (which must be postmarked by Election Day:) April 30

Chatsworth

Neighborhood boundaries: Nordhoff Street to 118 Freeway between Ventura County line and Corbin Avenue

Seats open: 11

Application deadline: Feb. 5

Candidate application form: Chatsworth-NC-Selection-Candidate-Filing-Form-2021-fillable.pdf

Mail-in ballot request dates: Until March 7; Complete this form and email to ChatsworthNC.selection@gmail.com

Selection date: March 20, 2021 from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Chatsworth Train Depot, 10038 Old Depot Plaza Road, Chatsworth

For more information, view the information on the Chatsworth Neighborhood Council's Selection information page, or see this 2021 Chatsworth Selection Manual

Porter Ranch

Neighborhood boundaries: North of the 118 Freeway to the base of Oat Mountain just north of Sesnon Boulevard, between Browns Canyon Road and Aliso Canyon Park

Seats open: 5

Declared candidates: Gabriel Khanlian, current secretary and safety committee co-chair; Vas Singh, current board member and member of the Outreach Committee, Public Safety Committee, and chair of the Speakers' Bureau; Lillian Brik Malinskiy, respiratory therapy director; Asaad Alnajjar, current Vice President, Chair of Safety, Bylaws, and Monitoring Systems committees.

Application deadline: Feb. 9

Mail-in ballot request dates: Feb. 26 through April 20

Election date: April 27

Deadline to receive mail-in ballots (which must be postmarked by Election Day:) April 30

Granada Hills North

Neighborhood boundaries: Aliso Canyon Wash to I-5, between Rinaldi Street, O'Melveny Park, and the 405 Freeway

Seats open: 21

Declared candidates: Graham Czach, musician and business owner; Karen Conner Waters, neighborhood advocate

Application deadline: Feb. 9

Mail-in ballot request dates: Feb. 26 through April 20

Election date: April 27

Deadline to receive mail-in ballots (which must be postmarked by Election Day:) April 30

Granada Hills South

Neighborhood boundaries: Devonshire Street to the 118 Freeway, between Lindley Avenue and the 405 Freeway; Lassen Street to Devonshire Street between Balboa Boulevard and the 405

Seats open: 17

Declared candidates: Bette Biers, former director of Granada Hills South Neighborhood Council who has also served on the Old Granada Hills Residents' Group, executive director of the Granada Hills Chamber of Commerce, and board member of United Coalition to End Homelessness, among others; Emayatzy Oliver, current board member serving on the Planning and Land Use and Beautification committees; John K. Horn, current board member and former chair of Homelessness Committee; Michael Benedetto, current vice president sitting on Executive Board, co-chair of Outreach, Public Safety, and Homeless committees; Eric Peterson (no info); George Karam (no info); Chavon Smith (no info); Abbey Ronquillo (no info)

Application deadline: Feb. 9

Mail-in ballot request dates: Feb. 26 through April 20

Election date: April 27

Deadline to receive mail-in ballots (which must be postmarked by Election Day:) April 30

West Hills
Neighborhood boundaries: From Victory Boulevard to the Chatsworth Reservoir between the Ventura County line and Shoup Avenue; extends to Topanga Canyon Boulevard north of Roscoe Boulevard

Seats open: 13

Declared candidates: Brian Begun, current board member; Julieta Goldenberg (no info); Justin Herschel, community activist; Jamie Ishcomer (no info); Kayson Verne (no info); Michael Hall (no info); Carolyn Greenwood (no info); Thomas Booth (no info); Daniel Osztreicher (no info); Olivia (Julie) Naturman, current board member and Homelessness Committee co-chair; Sean G. Rosenstock (no info); Sandi Bell, current and founding board member and Public Health Committee chair; Aveista Helmandi (no info)

Application deadline: Feb. 16

Mail-in ballot request dates: March 5 through April 27

Election date: May 4

Deadline to receive mail-in ballots (which must be postmarked by Election Day:) May 7

Canoga Park
Neighborhood boundaries: Vanowen Street to Nordhoff Street between Shoup Avenue and De Soto Avenue; stops at Roscoe Boulevard west of Topanga Canyon Boulevard

Seats open: 10

Declared candidates: None

Application deadline: Feb. 16

Mail-in ballot request dates: March 5 through April 27

Election date: May 4

Deadline to receive mail-in ballots (which must be postmarked by Election Day:) May 7

Winnetka

Neighborhood boundaries: Victory Boulevard to Nordhoff Street between De Soto Avenue and Winnetka Avenue; Kittridge Street to Parthenia Street between Winnetka Avenue and Corbin Avenue

Seats open: 7

Declared candidates: Jill Kline (no info); Jason Christopher Small, member of Los Angeles Democratic County Central Committee and State Central Committee; Mikhail Maniyan, realtor; Ajantha Sriramya, current board member; Alice Haroutunian (no info);

Application deadline: Feb. 16

Mail-in ballot request dates: March 5 through April 27

Election date: May 4

Deadline to receive mail-in ballots (which must be postmarked by Election Day:) May 7

Reseda
Neighborhood boundaries: Victory Boulevard and Roscoe Boulevard between Corbin Avenue and White Oak Avenue

Seats Open: 8

Declared candidates: Guillermo Morales Vitola (no info); Golzar Sepehri (no info); Gabriella J. Orellana (no info); Victor Saborio (no info); Teresa L. Brown (no info); Marvin Chowdhury (no info); Jamie York (no info)

Application deadline: Feb. 16

Mail-in ballot request dates: March 5 through April 27

Election date: May 4

Deadline to receive mail-in ballots (which must be postmarked by Election Day:) May 7

North Hills West
Neighborhood boundaries: Roscoe Boulevard to Plummer Street between Bull Creek and Woodley Avenue; Roscoe Boulevard to Lassen Street between Woodley Avenue and the 405 Freeway
Seats open: 6

Declared candidates: Pat Crone, current board member

Application deadline: Feb. 9

Mail-in ballot request dates: Feb. 26 through April 20

Election date: April 27

Deadline to receive mail-in ballots (which must be postmarked by Election Day:) April 30