Tag: Chelsea Lee Byers

WEST HOLLYWOOD—On Wednesday, December 17, the city of West Hollywood announced that Chelsea Lee Byers will become the next mayor for the city.

During the regular meeting of the West Hollywood City Council on Monday, December 16, John M. Erickson and Danny Hang were sworn-in to new terms on the West Hollywood City Council. Erickson’s oath of office was administered by Brian Sonia-Wallace and Hang’s oath of office was administered by former Mayor and Councilmember John D’Amico.

City Councilmembers serve for a term of four years and are elected at large. Erickson, who serves as the city’s current Mayor, was first elected to the West Hollywood City Council on November 3, 2020.

Hang was elected to the West Hollywood City Council on November 5, 2024. His legislative priorities include getting unhoused neighbors off the streets and into housing with supportive services; building more affordable housing while protecting and expanding renters’ rights; protecting workers and marginalized groups; uplifting local businesses; and creating a safer and healthier West Hollywood community.

The West Hollywood City Council nominated and elected Chelsea Lee Byers to serve as the city’s next Mayor and John Heilman to serve as Vice Mayor. The WeHo City Council selects Councilmembers each year to serve as Mayor and Vice Mayor; these positions rotate annually among the Councilmembers.

Incoming Mayor Byers and Incoming Vice Mayor Heilman will be sworn-in to their new roles at the upcoming annual City Council Reorganization and Installation meeting and oath of office ceremony, which will take place on Monday, January 13, 2025 at 6 p.m. at the City’s Council Chambers/Public Meeting Room, located at 625 N. San Vicente Boulevard.

A reception will immediately follow at the adjacent West Hollywood Park Aquatic and Recreation Center Respite Deck. The meeting, ceremony, and reception are free and open to the public. Limited validated parking will be available at the West Hollywood Park five-story structure.

Byers was elected to the City Council in November 2022. Her priorities include social service delivery, climate-change mitigation strategies, and emergency resiliency efforts; creating more affordable housing and resources for renters; enhancing the streetscape for improved pedestrian and cycling experiences while reducing vehicle-dependency; and community building and policy implementation to ensure an inclusive community for all.

Heilman was active in the incorporation of West Hollywood. He was elected to the City’s first City Council in November 1984 and he was chosen as the City’s second Mayor in 1985. After having served several terms, he was re-elected to the City Council in November 2022.

For additional information about West Hollywood’s City Councilmembers visit www.weho.org/city-government/city-council

By Trevor

WEST HOLLYWOOD—On Tuesday, December 19, the city of West Hollywood announced that during the City Council meeting on Monday, December 18, the next Mayor will be John M. Erickson and Vice Mayor will be Chelsea Lee Byers. A Resolution was approved to change the title of Mayor Pro Tempore to Vice Mayor. Since Cityhood in 1984, the organization of the West Hollywood City Council has been comprised of the Mayor, Mayor Pro Tempore, and Councilmembers. Adoption of the Resolution changes the Mayor Pro Tempore title to Vice Mayor as a local preference, moving forward.

Councilmembers serve for a term of four years and are elected at large. The City Councilmembers annually select members to serve as Mayor and Vice Mayor; these positions rotate among the Councilmembers.

Incoming Mayor Erickson and Incoming Vice Mayor Byers will be sworn-in at West Hollywood’s annual City Council Reorganization and Installation meeting and oath of office ceremony, which will take place on Tuesday, January 16, 2024 at 6 p.m. at the City’s Council Chambers/Public Meeting Room, located at 625 N. San Vicente Boulevard. A reception will immediately follow at the West Hollywood Library that is open and free to the public.

The meeting and ceremony will be live-broadcast and streamed as part of the regular WeHo City Council meeting and will be available by tuning into Channel 10 on Spectrum within West Hollywood, by visiting www.weho.org/wehotv, or by visiting the City’s WeHoTV YouTube Channel at www.youtube.com/wehotv. In addition, meetings can also be viewed on Amazon Fire TV, Android TV, Apple TV, and Roku streaming platforms by searching “WeHoTV” within the search functions of these services.

John M. Erickson, current Mayor Pro Tempore, was elected to the West Hollywood City Council on November 3, 2020. In 2010, Erickson was selected to intern for the West Hollywood City Council. After leaving City Hall, he served as a Legislative Representative at LAX (Los Angeles International Airport) and is currently the Vice President of Public Affairs, Communications, and Marketing at Planned Parenthood Los Angeles.

Erickson received his Ph.D. in American Religious History from Claremont Graduate University and a Dual-Master’s Degree from Claremont Graduate University. He graduated from the University of Wisconsin Oshkosh with a B.A. in English and Women’s Studies.

Chelsea Lee Byers, current Councilmember, was elected to the West Hollywood City Council on November 8, 2022. She became connected to West Hollywood through the Women’s Leadership Conference leading to program partnerships with West Hollywood, including Women Manifest (2016), the Cannabis Education Forum (2015-2018), collaborative film screenings, panels, and more. While working with United Way’s Everyone In campaign, Byers engaged with City Social Services and Strategic Initiatives to bring educational programming to the community on homelessness and housing solutions. She currently works as Director of Programs and Partnership with Women’s Voices Now and is a core team member with Beautiful Trouble.

Byers studied at Universidad Internacional Cuernavaca, Franklin University Switzerland and received her B.A. in Political Science and Women’s Studies from Northern Arizona University.

For more details, contact West Hollywood’s City Council Offices at (323) 848-6460. For people who are Deaf or hard of hearing call TTY (323) 848-6496.

By Trevor