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.

Alphabetical

Chronological

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

1850–59

City population in 1850: 1,610.

1850">1850 in the United States">1850

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 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."

1855">1855 in the United States">1855

1856">1856 in the United States">1856

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.

1860">1860 in the United States">1860

Election. / 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.
Election: December 6, 1869. / Term: December 9, 1869, to December 9, 1870.
City population in 1870: 5.730.

1870">1870 in the United States">1870

Election: December 5, 1870. / Term: December 9, 1870, to December 11, 1871.

1st Ward

Election: December 4, 1871. / Term: December 11, 1871, to December 5, 1872.

1st Ward

Election: December 2, 1872. / Term: December 5, 1872, to December 4, 1873.

1st Ward

Election: December 1, 1873. / Term: December 4, 1873, to December 18, 1874.

1st Ward

Election: December 7, 1874. / Term: December 18, 1874, to December 9, 1875.
"Beginning this year, the mayor also served as president of the City Council."

1st Ward

Election: December 6, 1875. / Term: December 9, 1875, to December 6, 1876.

1st Ward

Election: December 4, 1876. / Term: December 8, 1876, to December 6, 1877.

1st Ward

Election: December 3, 1877. / Term: December 6, 1877, to December 6, 1878.

1st Ward

Election: December 2, 1878. / Term: December 5, 1878, to December 5, 1879.

1st Ward

Election: December 5, 1879. / Term: December 5, 1879, to December 11, 1880.

1st Ward

City population in 1880: 11,200.

1880">1880 in the United States">1880

Election: December 6, 1880. / Term: December 11, 1880, to December 10, 1881.

1st Ward

Election: December 5, 1881. / Term: December 10, 1881, to December 9, 1882.

1st Ward

Election: December 4, 1882. / Term: December 9, 1882, to December 8, 1883.

1st Ward

Election: December 4, 1883. / Term: December 9, 1883, to December 8, 1884.

1st Ward

Election: December 1, 1884. / Term: December 9, 1884, to December 10, 1885.

1st Ward

Election December 7, 1885 / Term December 10, 1885, to December 13, 1886

1st Ward

Election December 6, 1886 / Term December 13, 1886, to December 12, 1887

1st Ward

Election December 5, 1887 / Term December 12, 1887, to December 10, 1888

1st Ward

Election December 3, 1888 / Term December 10, 1888, to February 21, 1889
The new city charter having been compiled by a specially elected board of freeholders under the provisions of Assembly Constitutional Amendment No. 16, and having been approved by the voters at a special election held October 20, 1888, by a vote of 2,642 to 1,890, caused Mayor John Bryson Sr.'s administration to be terminated on February 21, 1889, the day of the new elections. Mayor Henry T. Hazard was swept into office for a year and three quarters. Under the new charter all elected officers were elected for two years, the election month being December of every second year from 1889 on.

1st Ward