I am sixteen years old and I was denied the opportunity to seek appointment for the open community interest seat with the Echo Park Neighborhood Council by the Board. The Board’s decision to deny my appointment was solely based upon my age. The Board told me they decided to exclude youth from “running” or being appointed to the Board because in their experience youth are "irresponsible" and "flakey."

The Echo Park Neighborhood Council’s published by-laws on their website at the time I sought appointment, reflected a minimum appointment age of sixteen. However, when I was at the Board of Governors meeting I was informed the by-laws had been changed to increase the minimum age of appointment to eighteen. The Echo Park Neighborhood Council admitted the changed by-laws were not currently posted on their website.  The Echo Park Neighborhood Council’s by-laws are very different compared to other neighborhood councils. For example, in other neighborhood councils persons aged sixteen and above are allowed to “run” or be appointed to the Board of their respective council.

On the Echo Park Neighborhood Council’s by-laws a “stakeholder” is defined as a person “16 and above.” Furthermore, the Los Angeles Plan for a Citywide System of Neighborhood Council states, “Certified Neighborhood Councils shall be diverse, inclusive and open to all Community Stakeholders”.
More importantly the Board for the Echo Park Neighborhood Council have taken the contradictory position that “stakeholders” under the age of eighteen are allowed to vote for candidates who “run” to be on the Board but are not entitled to “run” or be appointed themselves.

Youth representation matters and to exclude youth is wrong. I care about my community and believe other youth and I should be allowed to participate as a board member on my neighborhood council. I believe that having a youth voice on the board would ultimately benefit the neighborhood as a whole. Youth deserve to be able to vote as a board member on decisions that will affect themselves, their family, friends and other youth.  Will you join me in letting the Board of Neighborhood Commissioners know that it is unacceptable the Echo Park Neighborhood Council excludes youth?

Your support on this issue would mean so much.

Thank you,
Bianca