Century City-Westood Councilmember announces bid
By Chad Winthrop
Los Angeles Councilmember Paul Koretz, who represents Century City and Westwood, has announced that at the end of his term he will run for LA City Controller, a position described by some as the “taxpayers’ watchdog”.
In an interview with CityWatch LA, Council District 5’s Koretz said that at the end of his term in 2022 he will make a bid for City Controller.
Koretz, a member of City Council’s Budget Committee since 2009 and former chair of the Council’s Audits & Government Efficiency Committee, should have the budgetary experience necessary for the Controller position. In addition, Koretz was a member of the California State Assembly between 2000 to 2006 and served on the Revenue & Tax Committee.
In his interview with City Watch, Koretz said that he hopes to bring the cost of building homeless down to “the $300,000’s range, not the $500,000 to $800,000 range.”
In addition, Koretz said that as Controller he would focus on homelessness prevention, which he says has being increasing at an “unsustainable rate”.
The Los Angeles City Controller is an elected citywide official who serves as the city’s auditor and accountant.
Koretz has secured endorsements from many lawmakers and stakeholders including Mayor Eric Garcetti, Council President Herb Wesson, Council President-Elect Nury Martinez and the United Firefighters of Los Angeles, and a number of community leaders.