Los Angeles Common Council

The Los Angeles Common Council was the predecessor of the Los Angeles, California, City Council. It was formed in 1850 under state law, when the city had only 1,610 residents, and it existed until 1889, when the city had about 50,400 residents and a city charter was put into effect.

From 1850 through 1869, council members were elected at large under a first-past-the-post voting system, in which the top vote-getters were seated. From 1870 they were elected by electoral districts called wards.

The dates in the headers reflect the years of installation of the incoming councils.

City population in 1850: 1,610.

Election: July 1, 1850. / Term: July 3, 1850 to May 7, 1851.

Election: May 5, 1851. / Term: May 7, 1851, to May 4, 1852.

Election: May 3, 1852. / Term: May 4, 1852, to May 3, 1853.

Election: May 1, 1853. Term: May 3, 1853, to May 4, 1854.

Election: May 1, 1854. / Term: May 4, 1854, to May 9, 1855.

"At Councilman Lewis Granger's proposal at the May 4 session, the minutes of the Common Council were for the first time written in both Spanish and English, on alternate pages."

"At Councilman Sanford's proposal[,] an invitation was extended to the two printers [in the city] to send a reporter each to their council meetings for the purpose of bringing any matter of general interest to the public through their newspapers."

Election: May 5, 1856. / Term: May 7, 1856, to May 6, 1857.

Election: May 4, 1857. / Term: May 6, 1857, to May 10, 1858.

Election: May 3, 1858. / Term: May 10, 1858, to May 9, 1859.

Election: May 2, 1859. / Term: May 9, 1859, to May 9, 1860.

City population in 1860: 4,385.

Election (to come). / Term: May 9, 1860, to May 7, 1861.

Election: May 6, 1861. / Term: May 7, 1861, to May 7, 1862.

Election: May 5, 1862. / Term: May 7, 1862, to May 9, 1863.

Election: May 4, 1863. / Term: May 9, 1863, to May 5, 1864.

Election: May 2, 1864. / Term: May 5, 1864, to May 6, 1865.

Election: May 7, 1866 / Term: May 10, 1866, to May 8, 1867.

Election: May 7, 1866. / First term: May 10, 1866, to May 8, 1867. / Reinstated: August 8, 1867.
Second term: August 8, 1867, to December 7, 1868.

Election: December 7, 1868. / Term: December 9, 1868, to December 9, 1869. The ten councilmen elected this year drew lots for terms of one or two years. The president of the council was also selected by drawing lots.

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