Member-only story
2020 LAUSD ELECTIONS
Did School Board Candidate Go AWOL From Her Last Elected Position?
Records show that Tanya Franklin was removed from her position on the Del Rey Neighborhood Council. Her campaign says she resigned. Why should this matter to voters?
Neither attended the meeting.”
- The Argonaut
Members of Los Angeles’ neighborhood council system volunteer our time to represent the members of our community as part of “the closest form of government to the people.” As with any team, each council’s ability to work effectively can be jeopardized when its members fail to fulfill their individual responsibilities. This is especially true when there are excessive absences as boards must have a minimum number of members present to do business. If this quorum is not established, then the meeting must be canceled, even if there are time-sensitive items on the agenda.
On June 12, 2014, Tanya Franklin was sworn in as a member of the Del Rey Neighborhood Council (DRNC). The very next month she was excused to be absent for the monthly meeting. After attending meetings for three months in a row, she missed the November meeting. According to the council’s minutes, she was present for the December meeting, but this was the last one she would ever attend as a board member. In total, she was present for 38.5% of the meetings that were held during her tenure on the board.
During the meeting of the DRNC on May 14, 2015, a motion was put forth to remove Franklin “as Secretary of the Del Rey Neighborhood Council for consecutive absences.” This was moved by the board’s president Jonathon…
