Civic Leadership Award
Antonio Villaraigosa
Mayor, City of Los Angeles
Antonio R. Villaraigosa is the 41st mayor of Los Angeles, sworn into office on July 1, 2005. As a leading progressive voice in the United States, Mayor Villaraigosa is known for his exceptional skill at building broad bi-partisan coalitions among different city groups to facilitate city development. A native of Los Angeles, Mayor Villaraigosa entered public service as a field representative/organizer with the United Teachers Los Angeles (UTLA) before being elected to the California State Assembly in 1994. Four years later, his colleagues elected him the first Assembly Speaker from Los Angeles in 25 years. While Speaker, Villaraigosa oversaw passage of landmark state legislation including the toughest assault weapons ban in the country and the largest urban neighborhoods parks initiative in America.
Despite losing his first bid for mayor of Los Angeles in 2001, the Mayor became a distinguished fellow at UCLA and USC, where he co-authored “After Sprawl,” a policy blueprint for addressing the issues facing many urban centers.
In 2003, he was elected to the Los Angeles City Council, 14th District. During his tenure on the City Council, he championed many of the issues he is addressing today as Mayor, including programs to address public safety, transportation and other issues facing Los Angeles.
Without question, protecting the citizens of Los Angeles is a chief priority of the Mayor’s administration. As the centerpiece of his first budget, the Mayor developed and funded the hiring of 1,000 additional police officers over five years, which will bring the number of LAPD officers to over 10,000 for the first time ever. Under the Mayor’s leadership, violent crime was reduced 14 percent in the first six months of 2006. He also created and expanded the Gang Reduction Program and secured an additional $80.6 million in Homeland Security funding for the Los Angeles–Long Beach area.
Mayor Villaraigosa’s focus on quality-of-life issues has led to a greater emphasis on the delivery of basic city services. He launched Operation Pothole, which filled over 80,000 potholes citywide. The Mayor also created the HIRE L.A.’s Youth Program, which provided 7,000 jobs to young adults during their summer break. He also organized two Community Service Days, where nearly 40,000 volunteers helped to improve their local schools and neighborhoods.
For his diligence to make a difference on issues of quality of life and safety that matter to the people of Los Angeles, the Golden Badge Foundation is honored to present Mayor Villaraigosa with its 2006 Civic Leadership Award.
