Elections for most of the San Fernando Valley’s 34 neighborhood councils are set to begin next week, but many residents may not even be aware the local advisory bodies exist.

Those community members are missing out, officials say, on an important opportunity to engage with city government.

Certified in 2001, neighborhood council boards are comprised of elected volunteers that make recommendations to Los Angeles City Hall on local issues ranging from land use and development to traffic and road maintenance. Each council also receives $37,000 annually in public funds that can be used for community programs and events, in addition to covering operating costs.

L.A.’s 99 neighborhood councils don’t have any binding power, but the boards can exercise real influence on city councilmembers as they approve new legislation or development projects, said Glenn Bailey, an executive committee member of the Valley Alliance of Neighborhood Councils.

“That’s the engagement promise that neighborhood councils have to offer,” he said. “But only if you take advantage of it.”

Not many do, relatively speaking.

While neighborhood councils on average represent around 38,000 people, election turnout in each district generally doesn’t break 1,000 voters, Bailey said.

Valley elections begin on April 27 and will be held on four different dates through May 19.

To help increase election participation, the Department of Neighborhood Empowerment, which provides support and resources for neighborhood councils, has held a series of town hall meetings and polling workshops. In February, members of several Valley neighborhood councils held their first “Rally in the Valley” event, a free training and registration session for prospective candidates.

RELATED STORY: San Fernando Valley LA neighborhood councils are gearing up for elections. ‘Rally in the Valley’ is a chance to get involved

Still, some council district — including Porter Ranch, Winnekta and the Foothills Trail District — weren’t able to field enough candidates to hold elections this cycle. Instead, members will be selected by an affirmation process.

“This could be the highest number of neighborhood councils [throughout the city] that do not have elections because of a lack of candidates,” Bailey said.

Ron Ziff, president of the Sherman Oaks Neighborhood Council, said informing residents on the role neighborhood councils play in local government is key to raising engagement.

A primary function of neighborhood councils like Ziff’s is to review development plans in their districts. City council members often instruct developers to consult council committees about potential traffic, environmental and aesthetic impacts of a new building.

Last year, the Sherman Oaks Neighborhood Council successfully proposed a number of changes to the overhaul of the former Sunkist headquarters on 14130 Riverside Drive into a 249-unit mixed use apartment complex. The changes included reducing the total number of units as well as revamping parking plans.

“We have a history of meeting with developers and suggesting things that make a development compatible with the neighborhood,” Ziff said.

He also pointed to the council’s ongoing communication with various state and local agencies over the proposed Sepulveda Transit Corridor Project, an ambitious public transit plan that would connect the Valley to the Westside. The council supports a plan to build a monorail over the 405 Freeway instead of proposed heavy rail options that would likely run through Sherman Oaks neighborhoods.

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“We’re working with the City Council, LA Metro, the State Assembly — you name it,” he said.

One potential barrier to increasing voter turnout is that a vote-by-mail system is not in place for this election cycle. Bailey, with the Valley Alliance of Neighborhood Councils, said vote by mail had been available in past elections.

“It’s a huge disappointment,” he said. “Not everyone is available on a particular day for a four-to-six-hour time slot to vote.”

Christopher Garcia, a spokesman for the L.A. City Clerk’s office, which administers elections, said vote by mail was included in the agency’s budget for this year but was not approved by the City Council. He added that the agency plans to request vote by mail for neighborhood council elections in 2021.

RELATED STORY: Skeptical of official LA homeless count numbers, Encino community leaders undertake their own tally in the Sepulveda Basin

Another possible change for future elections is updating who is allowed to vote and run in council contests.

Currently, any voter or candidate that spends some amount of time in a council district—whether or not they live or work in the area—can be classified as a “community interest stakeholder” and participate in an election. After complaints that some local organizations had tried to take control of neighborhood boards by bussing in outside voters, the City Council moved to allow only those who live, work, own property or are involved with community groups in the area to take part in elections. The Council has yet to vote on the new reforms, so they won’t go into effect this year.

Saul Daniels, editor and publisher of local online publication My Chatsworth, said the Chatsworth council faced a takeover attempt by an outside church in 2015. The faith group had purchased land near Topanga Boulevard and aimed to have the property rezoned in order to build a new church. The group backed candidates for each of the board’s 10 open seats that year, said Daniels, whose wife, Judith Daniels, was former president of the neighborhood council and also currently on the executive committee of the Valley Alliance of Neighborhood Councils

“They brought people in vans from a fair in Woodland Hills to vote,” he said.

The committee that oversees the Chatsworth Neighborhood Council’s board selection, a process that differs slightly from most council elections, found most of the voters didn’t qualify as community interest stakeholders since the city hadn’t approved the new church. But some Valley board members say takeover attempts in other districts have been more effective.

Running for a board seat isn’t the only way to get involved with neighborhood councils, Bailey said. Residents can also attend public council meetings, sign up for email newsletters and volunteer to serve on council committees, which are selected by board members.

“On a committee, a person doesn’t have to be involved in all aspects of a neighborhood council if they have a particular interest or passion,” he said.

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Here is a list of neighborhood council holding board elections in the San Fernando Valley. Check the websites for stakeholders qualification and rules for voting. Some neighborhood councils require stakeholder verification documentation.

APRIL 27

Pacoima Neighborhood Council: 9 a.m.-3 p.m. Pacoima City Hall, 13520 Van Nuys Blvd. www.pacoimanc.com; bit.ly/2UnsyUt

Arleta Neighborhood Council: 10 a.m.-3 p.m. Branford Community Center, Dance Room, 13306 Branford St. www.arletanc.org; bit.ly/2UnsyUt

Sun Valley Area Neighborhood Council: 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Polytechnic High School, auditorium, 12431 Roscoe Blvd., Sun Valley. www.svanc.com; bit.ly/2UnsyUt

Sylmar Neighborhood Council: 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Sylmar Charter High School, Spartan Hall, 13050 Borden Ave. 818-833-8737. www.sylmarneighborhoodcouncil.org; bit.ly/2UnsyUt

North Hills East Neighborhood Council: 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Vallarta Supermarket, parking lot, 9136 Sepulveda Blvd., North Hills. www.northhillseast.org; bit.ly/2UnsyUt

Sunland-Tujunga Neighborhood Council: noon-6 p.m. North Valley City Hall, 7747 Foothill Blvd., Tujunga. 818-951-7411. www.stnc.org; bit.ly/2UnsyUt

Mission Hills Neighborhood Council: 2-8 p.m. Mission Hills Christian Church, 14941 Devonshire St. www.mhnconline.org; bit.ly/2UnsyUt

Panorama City Neighborhood Council: 2-8 p.m. Plaza del Valle, community room, 8610 Van Nuys Blvd. www.panoramacitync.org; bit.ly/2UnsyUt

MAY 4

Granada Hills North Neighborhood Council: 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Knollwood Plaza, parking lot, 11840-11900 Balboa Blvd., Granada Hills. 818-923-5592. www.ghnnc.org; bit.ly/2IG2fXe

Granada Hills South Neighborhood Council: 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Granada Hills Recreation Center, Dance Room, 16730 Chatsworth St., Granada Hills. 818-217-0511. www.ghsnc.org; bit.ly/2IG2fXe

Northridge East Neighborhood Council: 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Northridge Recreation Center, child care center, 18300 Lemarsh St., Northridge. 818-527-2913. www.nenc-la.org; bit.ly/2IG2fXe

Northridge West Neighborhood Council: 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Nobel Charter Middle School, 9950 Tampa Ave., Northridge. 818-697-0639. www.northridgewest.org; bit.ly/2IG2fXe

North Hills West Neighborhood Council: 1-7 p.m. Sepulveda Unitarian Universalist Society, 9550 Haskell Ave., North Hills. 818-903-2259. www.nhwnc.net; bit.ly/2IG2fXe

MAY 16

North Hollywood North East Neighborhood Council: 2-7 p.m. Los Angeles Fire Department, Station 89, classroom, 7063 Laurel Canyon Blvd., North Hollywood. 818-627-8505. www.nhnenc.org; bit.ly/2va7QgD

Van Nuys Neighborhood Council: 2-8 p.m. State Office Building, 6150 Van Nuys Blvd. Van Nuys. www.vnnc.org; bit.ly/2va7QgD

Greater Toluca Lake Neighborhood Council: 3-8 p.m. Harmony Toluca Lake Methodist Church, 4301 Cahuenga Blvd., Toluca Lake. 818-755-7674; 818-755-7649. www.gtlnc.org; bit.ly/2va7QgD

North Hollywood West Neighborhood Council: 3-8 p.m. Saticoy Elementary School, auditorium, 7850 Ethel Ave., North Hollywood. 818-446-6469. www.nohowest.org; bit.ly/2va7QgD

NoHo Neighborhood Council: 3:30-8:30 p.m. North Hollywood Recreation Center, preschool classroom, 11430 Chandler Blvd., North Hollywood. www.mtnhnc.org; bit.ly/2va7QgD

Greater Valley Glen Neighborhood Council: 4-8 p.m. Concorde Career College, lobby, 12412 Victory Blvd., North Hollywood. www.greatervalleyglencouncil.org; bit.ly/2va7QgD

Studio City Neighborhood Council: 4-8 p.m. Reed Middle School, auditorium, 4525 Irvine Ave., North Hollywood. 818-655-5400. www.studiocitync.org; bit.ly/2va7QgD

Neighborhood Council Valley Village: 4-8 p.m. Faith Presbyterian Church, fellowship hall, 5000 Colfax Ave., Valley Village. 818-759-8204. www.myvalleyvillage.com; bit.ly/2va7QgD

MAY 19

Encino Neighborhood Council: 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Los Angeles Fire Department, Station 83, 4960 Balboa Blvd., Encino. 818-971-6996. www.encinonc.org; bit.ly/2vbgGL7

Lake Balboa Neighborhood Council: 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Gault Street Elementary School, auditorium, 17000 Gault St., Lake Balboa. 818-779-9026. www.lakebalboanc.org; bit.ly/2vbgGL7

Reseda Neighborhood Council: 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Reseda Neighborhood Council Community Space, 18118 Sherman Way, Reseda. 818-832-7540. www.resedacouncil.org; bit.ly/2vbgGL7

West Hills Neighborhood Council: 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Shadow Ranch Recreation Center, 22633 Vanowen St., West Hills. 818-254-9378. www.westhillsnc.org; bit.ly/2vbgGL7

Tarzana Neighborhood Council: 11 a.m.-3 p.m. Tarzana Child Care Center, 5700 Beckford Ave., Tarzana. 818-921-4992. www.tarzananc.org; bit.ly/2vbgGL7

Woodland Hills-Warner Center Neighborhood Council: noon-6 p.m. Rose Goldwater Community Center, 21710 Vanowen St., Canoga Park. 818-639-9444. www.whcouncil.com; bit.ly/2vbgGL7

Sherman Oaks Neighborhood Council: 1-5 p.m. Sherman Oaks East Valley Senior Center, auditorium, 5056 Van Nuys Blvd., Sherman Oaks. 818-503-2399. www.shermanoaksnc.org; bit.ly/2vbgGL7

According to Section 4.13 (Board Affirmation and Loss of Quorum) of the 2019 Neighborhood Council Election Handbook, the following neighborhood council elections have been suspended or cancelled:

Foothill Trails District (scheduled for April 27) bit.ly/2UnsyUt

Porter Ranch (scheduled for May 4) bit.ly/2IG2fXe

Canoga Park (scheduled for May 19) bit.ly/2vbgGL7

Winnetka (scheduled for May 19) bit.ly/2vbgGL7

For more information of neighborhood council elections: clerk.lacity.org/elections/neighborhood-council-election

This story was updated to clarify Saul Daniels’ correct title.

Editorial Assistant Holly Andres contributed to this story.