His term expiring, Garcetti pushes hard for job as ambassador to India
On the night of Dec. 7, a handful of elected officials gathered in front of City Hall to watch a live debate between Garcetti and the council president about who would replace him.
A few hours later, Garcetti was sworn into office as the new mayor of Los Angeles. He took office officially on Wednesday, Dec. 9.
“I am incredibly humbled by the voters of this city and I am humbled by the incredible spirit and energy of the people of this city, including the City Council,” Garcetti said when he took the oath of office during his swearing-in ceremony at City Hall, according to his office. “I promise and pledge to support the City Council faithfully and with equal vigor and dedication to serve the people of Los Angeles to the best of my ability.”
The swearing-in ceremony is an event traditionally attended by top elected officials and a large contingent of city and local officials gathered for a swearing-in for a new mayor.
But Garcetti is far from the mayor whose administration left the people of Los Angeles in disarray by failing to resolve the homeless crisis, enact a strong gun control ordinance and enact a budget that will take the city’s finances into the future.
Garcetti has been a prominent political figure in the City Council for years. During his election campaign, he took aim for his first term at City Council President Herb Wesson and Councilman Joe Buscaino, two of his top opponents who are now on the council. He also criticized Wesson’s leadership of the council, his appointment to fill a vacancy for Wesson.
While Garcetti made it clear he had every intention to serve out his first term, he was also adamant that he would not be beholden to his political supporters and would make decisions based on his belief that the work of the council is important and that elected officials should have absolute autonomy on how they do their jobs.
“I am not a politician, I am a leader, and the fact that I ran for office says to me I am going to serve you, and I am going to be an honest man and I’m not beholden to anybody,” he said during his swearing-in ceremony.
As he prepares to take on his second term, Garc